[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E82]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG PENCE

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2023

  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for Roll Call No. 95, Roll 
Call No. 96, Roll Call No. 97, Roll Call No. 98, Roll Call No. 99, and 
Roll Call No. 100 on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Since my first day in 
office, I have been squarely focused on what I was sent here to do: 
Represent Hoosiers of the 6th Congressional District of Indiana. Since 
the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress and the State of 
Indiana have been laser focused on preventing the spread of COVID-19 
and protecting the health of Hoosiers and all Americans. I am proud to 
have worked across the aisle to pass multiple bipartisan coronavirus 
relief bills that provided much needed assistance to Hoosiers and small 
businesses. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has politicized the 
COVID-19 pandemic to implement their radical, leftist agenda through 
unilateral executive action.
  I adamantly support H.R. 382, the Pandemic is over Act and H.R. 497, 
the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act. In September 2022, President 
Biden said the ``pandemic is over,'' but subsequently decided to extend 
the Public Health Emergency (PHE) several more times. President Biden 
has abused the PHE to implement student loan cancelation absent 
congressional authority, keep students from school, and force vaccine 
and mask mandates. Regrettably, President Biden compounded workforce 
shortages by requiring vaccine mandates for federal health care 
workers, disproportionately hurting rural and underserved communities.
  Had I been present I would have voted Yea on Roll Call No. 95 (the 
Previous Questions), Yea on Roll Call No. 96 (Adoption of H. Res. 75), 
Nay on Roll Call No. 97 (Motion to Recommit), Yea on Roll Call No. 98 
(Final Passage of H.R. 497), Nay on Roll Call No. 99 (Motion to 
Recommit), and Yea on Roll Call No. 100 (Final Passage of H.R. 382).

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