[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E81]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                  FREEDOM FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 31, 2023

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to 
H.R. 497, the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act that would endanger 
health care workers, their families and their patients.
  H.R. 497 would put more strain on our already fragile health care 
system by eliminating the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care 
providers.
  As a Member of Congress, who represents a congressional district that 
has experienced the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I must oppose this 
bill.
  The Biden administration plans to end the public health emergency in 
May, but we must remember that we are currently in a winter surge.
  The current COVID positivity rate in Houston is 20 percent.
  We are still in a pandemic, and we must do what we can to slow the 
spread so that less people are ending up in hospitals.
  Before widespread availability and access to COVID vaccines, health 
care workers were 3 times more likely to get COVID than the rest of the 
public.
  By keeping the vaccine mandates for health care workers, we can 
continue to slow the spread and keep health care workers and their 
families safe.
  In a 2020 survey by MentalHealthAmerica, 76 percent of respondents 
were worried about bringing COVID home to their children, and half of 
respondents worried about bringing COVID home to their partners or an 
older family member.
  In a survey of U.S. physicians, it was found that the portion of the 
day spent treating COVID-19 patients was associated with higher PTSD 
scores, depression and anxiety.
  Additionally, many health care workers at the beginning of the 
pandemic saw coworkers get sick and die from COVID, and this 
contributed to their increased stress and anxiety.
  According to the University of Chicago, it was found that an increase 
in staff vaccination rates resulted in fewer COVID-19 cases among the 
staff and the patients.
  Additionally, the same study found that the more transmittable 
variants of COVID may require additional boosters for staff to help 
manage COVID-19 cases in nursing homes.
  By taking away the vaccine mandate, we are making health care workers 
and their patients even more susceptible to the virus.
  By taking away the vaccine mandate, we are neglecting vulnerable 
Americans who deserve their right to life and safety when getting 
health care.
  It is important to remember, that vaccines are not new and that they 
are necessary to limiting viruses and keeping the country safe.
  It is federal law that any health care settings that receive money 
for Medicare or Medicaid patients must ensure that their health care 
workers are vaccinated against COVID-19.
  Even though the vaccine requirement caused many health care workers 
to leave, the health care work force is larger than it was prior to the 
pandemic.
  As of December 2022, the health sector added 54,700 jobs over the 
previous month and the employment in healthcare was 1.2 percent higher 
than the peak in February 2020.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill to show our support for our 
health care workers.

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