[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 9, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H1126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 A QUESTION OF LIFE AND DEATH IN TEXAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, and still I rise, a proud, 
liberated Democrat unbought and unbossed.
  I rise today to address the question of life and death, the question 
associated with the Governor of the State of Texas indicating that on 
tomorrow people may go out into the public and to public venues without 
a mask. He is leaving it to the public to make decisions associated 
with life and death. Life and death in Texas because the 7-day average 
for hospitalizations is 6,000. The number of people that died on last 
Sunday was 65. Life and death. And he leaves it in the hands of people 
who may somehow believe that he is risking his life. Not so. Not to the 
extent that the public will be, those who haven't been vaccinated 
because on December 22 of last year the Governor was vaccinated.
  The Governor has resources. If by chance he should contract the 
virus, the Governor will have access to the finest medical care in the 
world. The Governor will get to the hospital expeditiously either by 
some car that will have some officer driving at a high rate of speed 
because the road will be cleared for him or he will pursue his needs by 
way of helicopter. The Governor has resources.
  Better example. The former President, who called the virus a hoax, 
when he contracted the virus, he went to the finest medical center, 
received the finest medical care, and he survived.
  His friend, who attended one of his rallies and 9 days later 
contracted the virus, died. This is a matter of life and death. The 
virus has not dissipated. It has not gone away.
  So to the people of Texas, I love you, but I say this to you: If you 
don't have the resources that the Governor has, if you don't have a 
helicopter, if you don't have access to the best medical care in the 
world, if you don't have a doctor that will be waiting on you when you 
get to the hospital, if you have to go to the emergency room--the 
Governor won't go to the emergency room, he will bypass that.
  So if you can bypass the emergency room and you can have the finest 
medical care in the world, maybe you should consider going into public 
venues without a mask. But if not, remember, it is a question of life 
and death, and the life you save may very well be your own.

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