[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 109 (Thursday, June 22, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H3077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1045
                    IMPROVING PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

  (Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, America just went 
through the largest health crisis and loss of life event in the modern 
era. Due to the pandemic, we lost over 1.3 million Americans, including 
my own mom and stepdad. That is why I have introduced the FLASH Act to 
help strengthen our Nation's ability to respond to a public health 
crisis.
  I was the mayor of Long Beach during the pandemic and worked every 
single day on the response. Both Governor Newsom and President Biden 
called our pandemic response a national model. We moved quickly to 
vaccinate 99 percent of seniors, protect frontline workers, and reopen 
schools ahead of most major cities, but in the first months of the 
pandemic, we struggled to get lifesaving equipment without Federal 
help.
  My bill will help the Department of Health and Human Services cut 
through red tape to quickly buy and distribute PPE, tests, medical 
supplies, and vaccines. We need this bill, and that is why I am urging 
my colleagues to support this critical legislation.

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