[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 204 (Thursday, December 3, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H6051]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                      ADDRESS THE COVID ISSUE NOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, well, here we are again. The CDC just 
announced that we are going through the most difficult time in U.S. 
public health history. Why are we here again?
  Two weeks ago, I asked that this body not leave, and we stay until we 
finish up the process of a COVID package. Today, we are back here 
again, still not having done that, and now Christmas is approaching. We 
will probably be leaving here next week, hopefully, with a package. But 
right now, that still is an unknown.
  I asked before August the same thing, that we not go back for August 
break until we identify a package and get it done in a bipartisan way, 
working toward protecting the American people, protecting families of 
America, protecting American businesses.
  Since then, we now have a projection by one of the top groups that 
have projected deaths, and they are saying 350,000 deaths just after 
Christmas.
  On December 1, 2,760 people died; on December 2, 3,157. Those 
projections are identified as increasing because of the amount of 
people hospitalized and the percentages historically that have been 
indicated.
  I ask Leader McConnell to please reconsider his statements. First, he 
had indicated that we were going to be able to address this issue just 
after the election. Politics should not be playing a role in this 
process.
  Now it is, when the new decision comes out by the bipartisan group in 
the Senate, he says he rejects it, and that maybe after the first of 
the year we will get to it.
  How many Americans have to die before we get serious about this? How 
many of our fellow citizens have to die, our friends, our neighbors? I 
don't know if there are any family members who have died, but they are 
in danger, I can guarantee.
  Our hospitals, our doctors are pleading day after day after day, do 
something about this. Please do something about this. We are 
overwhelmed. We can find beds for the doctors to be able to treat our 
citizens. What we cannot do is find doctors and nurses and technicians 
that are working 7 days a week, 16-hour days, going back to their 
families, going to bed, and coming back again.
  I do not understand it at all. If we are concerned about the economy, 
let's be concerned about the economy. The more deaths, the worse our 
economy will suffer.
  Homelessness, food instability, increasing mental health issues, 
education, increasing domestic violence, crime, this is going to 
continue to get worse unless we address the COVID issue now, not later, 
but now.
  Our leadership has been attempting to address this issue for some 
time. There is only one stumbling block and that is over in the Senate.
  I don't care if you agree with what has been proposed or not. Sit 
down at the damn table and talk about it. If you have to be there 20 
hours a day, sit down and talk about it.
  You wouldn't do this in your normal life in business. I have never 
done that in my normal life in business. When we have something moving 
forward, we work at it, time and time and time again; and we have to do 
that now, with COVID. Not later, now.


                   Urgent Needs of Tribal Communities

  Mr. O'HALLERAN. Mr. Speaker, I also want to talk a little bit about 
Arizona's First Congressional District and our country, on the need to 
extend the Tribal deadline from December 31 for another year to make 
sure they have the opportunity to use the funds that were given to 
them.
  There is an assumption that you can, over a 6-month period, put 
millions of dollars out there and get something done right away. I know 
that; I am a former project manager. I know to build a building it 
takes 2 to 3 years to get the planning done and get the work done.
  And here, the CARES Act clearly indicated a need for COVID relief for 
the Tribal Nations, not just because they have not been able to address 
the issue, but they need to address the issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I say one more time, let's get this COVID thing done.

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