[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 82 (Friday, May 1, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E407-E408]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              AMERICA'S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DURING COVID-19

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 1, 2020

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, government and public health 
officials in the U.S. have started grappling with how to reopen the 
economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of this discussion has 
understandably focused on what we need to do here in the U.S. such as 
drastically expanding testing capacity and hiring additional personnel 
to conduct a massive amount of contact tracing. For us to be prepared 
to prevent outbreaks here at home, however, we also have to think 
beyond our borders.
  The reality of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is that outbreaks 
anywhere in the world threaten transmission here in the U.S. The 
pandemic has upended countries in almost every corner of the world, but 
the impact on developing countries will be especially devastating. Not 
only do these countries already have low-resourced health systems but 
many are facing other challenges caused by conflict, climate change, 
droughts, migration and displacement. Their ability to prevent, 
contain, and respond to outbreaks is severely limited, making 
assistance from the international community critical.
  While the prevalence of COVID-19 in most developing countries remains 
unknown due to limited testing, the impact of the crisis is already 
taking its toll. The economic fallout from the pandemic will hit 
vulnerable populations the hardest; hundreds of millions of people 
could be pushed into poverty. The United Nations Food and Agricultural 
Organization has warned of a looming food crisis caused by significant 
strains on the global food supply chain. By the end of this year, the 
number of people on the brink of starvation around the world could 
double.
  In the short-term, the U.S. must bring significant investments in 
emergency economic and humanitarian relief to the table. The potential 
for drastic increases in poverty and widespread famine will foster 
further instability and displacement. Progress in developing countries 
to reduce conflict, increase economic opportunity, and promote good 
governance will be set back. Providing immediate additional resources 
to combat COVID-19 in other countries will not only alleviate the 
humanitarian

[[Page E408]]

crisis and reduce its potential destabilizing impacts, but it will also 
help prevent new outbreaks here in the U.S.
  In the long run, the work to prevent future outbreaks and combat the 
next pandemic is never-ending. The investments we make today in global 
health and development will help determine our ability to prevent and 
combat future outbreaks. For decades, unfortunately, this work has been 
underfunded. We have to increase our funding for global health security 
to strengthen health systems in developing countries so they are better 
prepared to contain diseases and prevent outbreaks. Investments in 
development and economic assistance, global health, and humanitarian 
relief are also vital for countries to improve their outbreak response 
and recovery. Efforts to cut these programs and gut key agencies such 
as USAID, the State Department, and the CDC are short-sighted and harm 
the long-term health and economic wellbeing of the U.S.
  In the coming months and years, a lot of attention will be given to 
questions around how the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded and how we prevent 
and better mitigate future outbreaks. We must use this opportunity to 
reinforce the value of U.S. global leadership and make the case for 
strengthened investments in global health and development. If anything, 
the COVID-19 pandemic has been a stark reminder that these investments 
are critical to protecting the health, economic, and security interests 
of the U.S.

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