[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 171 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E911-E912]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COVID PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, AND EFFECTIVE PLANNING FOR ADVANCED 
            REQUIREMENTS BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH ACT OF 2020

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 30, 2020

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as the Founding Chair of the 
Coronavirus Task Force and a senior member of the Judiciary and 
Homeland Committees, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7496, the ``COVID 
PREPARE Act,'' which requires every federal agency to submit a report 
to Congress on the steps they are taking to respond to a potential 
resurgence of COVID-19, including measurable goals, anticipated 
challenges, and how they will consult with Congress.
  I would like to thank Representatives Brad Schneider and John Katko 
for introducing and leading this important piece of legislation.

[[Page E912]]

  By passing this bipartisan bill today, Congress has taken it upon 
itself to ensure that all federal agencies are aware of the risks 
associated with any resurgence in coronavirus cases and are prepared to 
address them efficiently.
  This legislation stipulates that Congress will receive regular 
updates from these agencies until the President ends the emergency 
declaration related to the coronavirus pandemic.
  At the beginning of this pandemic, the federal government's response 
to COVID-19 was delayed, disorganized, and haphazard.
  It is because of these inefficiencies that the United States 
currently has over 7 million cases of the coronavirus and over 205,000 
related deaths.
  In the state of Texas alone, there are currently 761,332 cases of the 
virus and approximately 15,820 deaths.
  We must not make the same mistakes again.
  As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on American 
communities and take thousands of American lives, experts have warned 
that things might get even worse in the fall, especially as schools, 
businesses, and communities continue to reopen.
  Over the last six months, federal agencies have learned many hard 
lessons, and they have crafted new, effective strategies that will 
protect families and communities across the country fight against a 
possible resurgence of coronavirus cases this fall.
  We must put our faith in science and continue to invest in testing, 
contact tracing, as well as vaccine development.
  In my own district, I have facilitated the opening of 32 testing 
sites since the beginning of the pandemic in an effort to curb the 
spread of the virus.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress has a duty to assure the American people that 
the federal government is doing everything in its power to beat back 
the dual health and economic crises of this pandemic.
  H.R. 7496 honors that responsibility entrusted to us by the American 
people, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come 
together and vote for this important legislation.

                          ____________________