[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 9, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H1128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING RAMON ANIBAL RAMOS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Espaillat) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and 
work of a great New Yorker, a great Dominican-American, Ramon Anibal 
Ramos, who was born in San Pedro de Macoris in Ingenio Angelina.
  Over 50 years in radio and TV, that is what he gave our community. He 
conducted Fiesta de Tele Antillas on channel 47. He would listen to 
rock and roll as a young man, at an early age.
  He began La Voz del Tropico in 1958. He worked at Radio Radio, Onda 
Musical, Radio Reloj. In 1973, he went to work for Radio Clarin, 
``Entre Carrera y Carrera,'' then Colorvision at a program called ``La 
Alegria del Pais y Fiebre del Sabado,'' and also Super KQ FM98.
  He was an advocate for the community, and he worked right in the 
middle of the pandemic with SOMOS, a group of community-based 
physicians in the community of northern Manhattan.
  Madam Speaker, as the newspaper reported flocks of vultures flying 
over Manhattan in those tough months of February, March, April, during 
the pandemic, Ramon Anibal Ramos was out there documenting everything 
that was going on in the city of New York and reporting on what 
community doctors at SOMOS were doing on behalf of my constituents. He 
was an advocate for the community. He worked with those doctors.
  I want to extend my condolences to his wife and family, and to say 
that Ramon Anibal Ramos and his show, ``El Show de Ramon Anibal 
Ramos,'' was truly ``lo mejor del cable.''
  Madam Speaker, I bring his name up because we are about to pass a 
$1.9 trillion rescue package, and I am amazed. I am taken aback. I am 
surprised how many in this Chamber and in the Senate don't see the 
importance of this rescue package.
  Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, a flock of vultures flew over New 
York City. Imagine that, the number of dead people, families mourning, 
people fighting for their lives on ventilators in hospitals across the 
city, families quarantined, businesses shut down. Some of them will not 
be able to open again. Some of them are struggling to open right this 
very moment.
  Imagine the heroes, nurses and doctors and police officers and 
firefighters, community-based physicians, who were out there supporting 
our community, putting their lives on the line--including Ramon Anibal 
Ramos, who put his life on the line to help New Yorkers.
  Yet, many in this Chamber across the aisle and in the Senate don't 
see the importance of passing this $1.9 trillion package, which 
provides $75 billion for increased vaccination. As we see a new 
variant--by the way, it has been determined by researchers that only 
one out of the four antibodies available work against this new variant.
  In fact, we are not over this pandemic, and we must bring additional 
dollars for vaccination. We must bring additional help for small 
businesses: the EIDL Forgiveness Act, additional PPP money, $25 billion 
for restaurants that have been hurt; $1,400 for families, for 
individuals, including those children and young people who are in 
school and college, and dependent parents who may be living with us.
  Madam Speaker, the other side of the aisle and some of our Senators 
fought against the $400 unemployment benefits. They fought over a mere 
$100. What is $100 in today's cost of living? What can you buy with 
$100? Yet, they scrabbled and fought over $100 of unemployment 
benefits. Incredible.
  Madam Speaker, this is an important package that will not only save 
America; it will put us on the right track to recuperate from this 
horrendous pandemic, which may be the crisis of our generation. We are 
here to support that package, to open up the schools safer. Let's bring 
health to the American family.

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