[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H7527-H7528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXTENSION OF COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND PAYMENTS TO TRIBAL 
                              GOVERNMENTS

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend 
the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5119) to amend title VI of the Social 
Security Act to extend the coverage of Coronavirus Relief Fund payments 
to Tribal Governments, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5119

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND 
                   PAYMENTS TO TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS.

       Section 601(d)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     801(d)(3)) is amended by inserting ``(or, in the case of 
     costs incurred by a Tribal government, during the period that 
     begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on December 31, 2022)'' 
     after ``December 31, 2021''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) and the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. 
LaTurner) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise 
and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this 
measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5119, a bill to 
extend the availability of Coronavirus Relief Fund payments allocated 
to Tribal Governments under the CARES Act of 2020 for 1 additional 
year.
  This bipartisan bill was introduced by Mr. O'Halleran of Arizona and 
Mr. Young of Alaska with companion legislation sponsored by Mr. 
Sullivan and Ms. Murkowski in the Senate.
  The historic CARES Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020, and 
included critical aid for States, territories, Tribes, and large 
localities to combat the coronavirus pandemic. However, the Treasury 
Department did not have a preexisting allocation process for disbursing 
the $8 billion set aside for Tribes.
  According to a GAO review, it took extra time to set up these 
processes. Treasury also established some allocation methodologies 
without consulting with Tribes first, which led to legal challenges and 
even further delays of emergency relief.
  Taken together, these delays have resulted in a compressed timeframe 
for Tribal Governments to put their CARES Act funds to work, which is 
unacceptable in light of the disproportionate impact the pandemic has 
had on the Tribal community.
  According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, COVID-19 infections were 3.5 times higher for American 
Indians and Alaska Natives compared to White Americans during the first 
7 months of the pandemic. Other reports revealed that 1 in 475 Native 
Americans in the U.S. died from COVID-19 compared to 1 in 825 White 
Americans.
  The ravages of the pandemic have been compounded for our Tribal 
neighbors due to longstanding health disparities and social inequities. 
The deaths of Tribal elders from COVID-19 caused an incalculable and 
irreplaceable loss of cultural knowledge and language.
  Tribes must be given a fair opportunity to put Federal aid dollars to 
work tackling these serious issues. H.R. 5119 is a commonsense step to 
ensure that Tribes have parity with recipients who have not faced 
similar delays in gaining access to CARES Act funding.
  Finally, I want to assure my colleagues that CBO has confirmed that 
this bill does not increase Federal spending.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, last year, Congress set aside $8 billion in the CARES 
Act for Tribal Governments to spend on pandemic-related expenses. 
However, much of this $8 billion was held up in litigation and 
distributed to Tribes only 4 short months ago, more than a year after 
the funds were originally appropriated.
  This money is supposed to be used by December 31, 2021, about 3 weeks 
from today. But it is irresponsible to expect Tribal Governments to 
spend all this money within a few months of receiving it.
  This bill would extend the deadline an additional year, giving Tribes 
more time to responsibly allocate these funds and best serve their 
people.
  I thank my colleagues, Representative Young of Alaska and 
Representative Cole of Oklahoma, for their efforts in working on this 
matter.
  Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Alaska (Mr. Young), who is the dean of the House.
  Mr. YOUNG. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation. It is 
badly needed.
  First, I want to thank Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and Ranking Member  
 James Comer for their quick work. I have been trying for a long time 
to try to get this bill passed. I have asked everybody to put it in the 
CR and into the National Defense Authorization Act, but we didn't get 
it there. But the gentleman has brought it to the floor, so I thank 
both Representatives for doing that. Of course, I thank Speaker Pelosi, 
Chairwoman DeLauro, and Leader McCarthy.
  This is badly needed, as was mentioned by the previous speakers. We 
are now 23 days away, and a tremendous amount of money is on the table.
  It wasn't their fault. A lot of litigation was occurring so the money 
couldn't be spent. Consequently, if they don't spend it, they lose it, 
and they can't take care of the health problems caused by COVID. So 
this is a good piece of bipartisan legislation.
  But we are not done because we do have to continue this as it goes to 
the Senate. I am urging my leaders to ask the Senate to really get this 
bill done. It is needed, it is right, and it is justified. Let's take 
care of those first Americans in this legislation because of COVID. It 
can be done.
  Again, I thank both Members for the work they have done and the body 
of the House for voting ``yes'' on the legislation.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank the dean 
of the House, the outstanding leader from the great State of Alaska, 
for his insightful comments and for fighting so hard for the residents 
of Alaska, the Alaska Native residents, and the American Indians. This 
bill will take care of the Tribes in many of our States across the 
country.
  I also want to thank my colleague, Mr. O'Halleran, who could not be 
with us. He has a conflict with another committee meeting.

  I want to thank the Democratic leadership here in the House, Speaker 
Pelosi and the Democratic team, for bringing this to the floor and also 
Mr. Comer, Mr. LaTurner, and others for being part of this bipartisan 
effort. This is truly a bipartisan effort.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and if the gentleman from 
Kansas is ready, then I am prepared to close.
  Mr. LaTURNER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
South Dakota (Mr. Johnson).
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. LaTurner for 
yielding.

[[Page H7528]]

  It has been said before, but it bears repeating: 24 days. That is how 
long Tribal Governments have to utilize their CARES Act funding before 
the December 31 deadline.
  I talked to a number of Tribes that, rather than rushed to spend this 
money in recent months, tried to be thoughtful and deliberate about how 
to make these critically important investments. As a result, a number 
of them have millions of dollars left unspent.
  In that kind of environment, it is proper and prudent for us to 
extend the deadline, and we should do so. That is why I wholeheartedly 
support this bill.
  But I wouldn't feel right if I didn't point out that there is a 
better way, and it is, indeed, right before us, Madam Speaker. The 
solution is S. 3011, the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal 
Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act.
  Now, the House companion to that Senate bill has been led by 
Democratic Representative Carolyn Bourdeaux and myself. It has 
overwhelming support--125 bipartisan cosponsors.
  Our bill would do the exact same thing as the one before us tonight. 
Well, that is not quite right. I think our bill is superior in a few 
ways.
  First off, it doesn't just provide flexibility to Tribal Governments 
as this bill would rightfully do. It also provides that kind of 
flexibility to States and localities that also desperately need it.
  That is not the only way in which the Bourdeaux-Johnson bill is 
superior, and the dean of the House alluded to it earlier when he was 
talking. Our bill has already passed the Senate. This bill has not. In 
fact, the bill that I am talking about passed the Senate unanimously, 
and it has been sitting on the Speaker's desk since October 20.
  Yes, it is true we find ourselves with only 24 days for Tribal 
Governments to act, but it didn't have to be that way, and it doesn't 
have to be that way.
  My question for the Speaker would be: If our bill was good enough for 
100 Senators, why is it not good enough for the House?

                              {time}  1715

  And this legislative approach just means that we are going to go a 
few more days until tribes have the certainty they need.
  So Madam Speaker, I would close with this. If we brought S. 3011 up 
tonight and passed it, it could be law before midnight and tribes would 
not have the uncertainty that they continue to face.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, the gentleman 
raised some important points, and it is under consideration. But this 
bill is before us right now, and it is an important bill.
  Madam Speaker, if the gentleman from Kansas has no further speakers, 
then I am prepared to close.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTURNER. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am 
prepared to close.
  Madam Speaker, because I believe this is sensible legislation and 
good for tribal governments, I will vote in support of this bill. I 
urge my colleagues to support this needed and bipartisan legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank the 
gentleman for his leadership on this important bill, and also the dean 
of the House, Mr. Young, for his passionate support, who expressed so 
clearly the need of this important bill.
  I thank Mr. Comer. It was good to work together in a bipartisan way.
  And I want to also thank the Democratic leadership for bringing this 
bill to the floor.
  I urge passage of H.R. 5119, as amended, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5119, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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