Congressional Record — Extensions of Remarks, April 7, 2020, Page E354, Reduction or Elimination of FDA
Summary
Page E354 of the Extensions of Remarks section of the Congressional Record for April 7, 2020. Rick Larsen of Washington thanks teachers, paraeducators, food service workers, bus drivers and custodial staff for keeping education on track in Washington state during the COVID-19 pandemic, and says educators need Congress to help address issues including access to technology and broadband. Under the heading Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019, speeches of March 27, 2020 include Neal P. Dunn of Florida, who highlights specific concerns with some provisions in the bill, and Brad Sherman of California.
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“Congressional Record — Extensions of Remarks, April 7, 2020, Page E354, Reduction or Elimination of FDA.”
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E354 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks April 7, 2020
Reduction or elimination of FDA regula- more than 500,000 people. The provision, al- Finally, the Trump administration uses this
tions on non-invasive medical devices: This lows for a significantly broad definition of local must-pass relief bill to advance their anti-re-
reform should already be implemented for governments and specifies that ‘‘[t]he term production rights agenda. The bill gives the
smart devices (such as Fitbits), glucose kits,
‘unit of local government’ [includes] . . . other Small Business Administration broad discre-
and other comparable items. It could be ex-
panded to include DIY COVID test kits. unit of general government below the State tion to exclude Planned Parenthood affiliates
Clarification and codification of Trump ad- level with a population that exceeds 500,000.’’ and other non-profits serving people with low
ministration efforts to ease telehealth re- Section 5001 explicitly allows any government incomes and deny them benefits under the
strictions: President Trump has already that represents more than 500,000 and in- new small business loan program. Addition-
begun to lift restrictions for Medicare pa- cludes regional councils of government which ally, the bill attaches a harmful Hyde Amend-
tients, but not for other populations. are chartered under state law. ment provision to a state stabilization fund for
Waiving out-of-state medical licensing re- In Ohio, Chapter 167 of the revised code state, local, and tribal governments providing
quirements: This reform is already hap-
pening slowly on a state-by-state level, but
provides broad authority for a regional council coronavirus relief. Reproductive health care is
could be more aggressively championed—or of government to act as a local unit of govern- essential health care, and Planned Parent-
mandated—at the federal level. ment, to plan, enter cooperative agreements hood health centers are a critical component
f related ‘‘to matters affecting health, safety, of the health care system. Attempting to limit
welfare, education, economic conditions, and access to reproductive health care services
THANK YOU TO WASHINGTON regional development.’’ See Ohio Revised during a pandemic will only worsen the public
STATE’S EDUCATORS Code, Sec. 167.03. health care crisis.
In drafting and approving H.R. 748, the f
HON. RICK LARSEN House and Senate intended section 5001 to
MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS
OF WASHINGTON be administered liberally, and for Treasury and
the Courts to construe the statute broadly so TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
as to encompass all local government entities
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 with more than 500,000 citizens to act directly,
SPEECH OF
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Madam Speak- and not through the intermediary of a state HON. NEAL P. DUNN
er, I rise today to sincerely thank the teachers, government. In fact, the State of Ohio has OF FLORIDA
paraeducators, food service workers, bus driv- specifically devolved local authority to the re- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ers, custodial staff and others keeping the gional council of governments to act in the
Friday, March 27, 2020
education of kids on track in Washington state general welfare interests of their citizens as a
during the COVID–19 pandemic. unit of general government. Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, oftentimes, when
Schools are always adapting to suit the As Treasury promulgates regulations to im- both sides of the aisle acknowledge that a bill
needs of their students. When Washington plement this statute, the law intends for these is not perfect, it ultimately means it is actually
state closed schools to prevent the spread of regional councils of government to act as a quite good. With that said, I do want to high-
COVID–19, education professionals rapidly general unit of local government, and envi- light some specific concerns that I have with
adjusted to on line education, ensuring stu- sions them to be eligible to certify and receive provisions in this bill, both in their direct ef-
dents would not fall behind. the state stabilization dollars. fects, and also the future precedent that they
Distance learning has forced schools to f may set.
tackle serious student equity issues, including Historically there is little evidence that direct
access to technology and broadband, and MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS to consumers stimulus checks have a signifi-
making sure thousands of students who rely TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019 cant impact on the economy or that they lead
on school meals do not go hungry. These to the kind of spending necessary to counter-
SPEECH OF act an economic downturn. The Economic
educators need Congress to step up to help
address these issues. HON. BRAD SHERMAN Stimulus Act of 2008 (signed February 13,
Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the sac- OF CALIFORNIA 2008) provided $600 checks to individuals and
rifices teachers and school employees of all IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
cost $168 Billion. A study by the Bureau of
kinds across Washington state are making to Labor statistics later showed that, ultimately,
Friday, March 27, 2020 nearly 70 percent of recipients either used the
provide for their students amid this public
health crisis. And I call on Congress to provide Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, over 122,000 money to pay off existing debt, or simply put
necessary tools for school districts to ensure cases of coronavirus, otherwise referred to as it into savings. Those are not activities that
equitable online learning and sufficient re- COVID–19, have been confirmed in the United stimulate the economy, and unsurprisingly that
sources for students during this pandemic and States since the inception of the outbreak, in- effort failed to stop a four percent contraction
beyond. cluding more than 5,000 confirmed cases in in GDP, the loss of over eight million jobs, and
f my home state of California alone. More than the worst overall economic disaster since the
two thousand Americans have died as a result great depression. Overall, I believe that this
MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS of the virus, and many more stand to do so if bill will help us to avoid the same fate, but that
TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019 we do not act quickly to mitigate its spread will be due to other more robust provisions
and address the myriad of medical challenges. that acknowledge the importance of our small
SPEECH OF While Congress has passed several meas- businesses and job creators in the private sec-
HON. MARCY KAPTUR ures to provide significant amounts of money tor.
OF OHIO for research activities at federal agencies, this The incentive and ability for anyone, regard-
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
is not enough. I am disappointed that H.R. less of their circumstances, to work hard and
748 does not adequately fund nor provide in- improve their life is a fundamental tenet of the
Friday, March 27, 2020 centives for, research and development into American dream. It is essential that we do not
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 748 con- treatments and vaccines that leverage the ex- allow this stimulus payment to serve as a pilot
tains a critical provision that will be used to pertise of the public and private sectors. Chief- program for a Universal Basic Income, as
assist state and local governments in their re- ly, the CARES Act fails to adequately support some have suggested. Furthermore, it is true
sponse to the crisis engulfing our nation. In- research on the National Institutes of Health that this bill will at times create a situation
deed, local governments are bearing the (NIH) campus and at clinical research institu- where some people could actually earn more
heavy burden of response with dwindling re- tions across the country to pursue all reason- money by filing for unemployment if fur-
sources while helping terrified Americans man- able avenues to develop treatments for the loughed than they would by staying in the
age as best they can. As the entities closest coronavirus, including diagnostic tests, thera- workforce. We must acknowledge the potential
dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with REMARKS
to the ground, these local governments are on pies and vaccines. The NIH should have sig- for this to set a damaging precedent.
the front line of the fight, and we must ensure nificantly more than $945 million to carry out This bill provides robust funding for our na-
they have adequate funding. COVID–19 related research and should also tion’s hospitals and some needed flexibility in
This provision, Section 5001 of the CARES be directed to focus primarily on those pos- the telehealth space to ensure Americans,
Act, provides that Treasury will provide assist- sible treatments that are not subject to a pat- particularly seniors, are able to visit with their
ance directly, and not through the State inter- ent and thus are not the focus of U.S. phar- doctors in the lowest risk setting possible. I
mediary to units of local government with maceutical companies. was disappointed however in the lack of a
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April 7, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E355
specific carve out that acknowledges the compensation. This principle guides my sup- I am also disappointed that other special in-
unique challenges faced by our rural hospitals, port of this bill today. In essence, the govern- terest and pork provisions crept into this bill at
like the many that serve Florida’s second dis- ment has asked our nation’s businesses and the last minute. The essential pieces of this
trict. I was also disappointed that the bill does workers to shoulder the burden of economic legislation were ironed out almost a week ago,
not provide statutory relief for those who may shutdown, during good times, for the wellbeing yet Democrats held up this important bill with
not have video phone capabilities required to of the country. For that reason, it is fair and a list of demands. Fortunately, most were re-
meet reimbursement criteria for telehealth vis- just that we provide them a lifeline to help jected by negotiators from the Trump Adminis-
its. It is my understanding and hope however, them weather this storm. tration but some were included in the bill.
that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid The situation is truly dire. Many small busi- At the request of House and Senate Demo-
services will be able to provide adequate guid- nesses are weeks or days away from deplet- crats, a number of pet projects received pork
ance to allow for ‘‘audio only’’ visits. ing their cash reserves. When these small funding in this legislation. The American peo-
I believe that the $9.7 Billion provided to businesses close, rarely do they reopen. Thus, ple should know that Republicans fought these
Secretary Sonny Perdue to aid our agriculture if we do not act, the economic devastation provisions. Yet, despite our best efforts to
industry is a good first start, but ultimately caused by extreme social distancing could keep them out, funding for the Kennedy Cen-
more resources will need to be made available plague communities for years. ter, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Am-
in the near future. Recent volatility in the glob- Yesterday, I spoke to many small busi- trak, and the Postal Service was included,
al trade markets and natural disasters, com- nesses in my district on a call. I was struck among others. Additionally, at a time when
bined with an already weakened Agriculture when one asked me to give them hope. To employers are cutting back, new funds for
economy mean our producers need help now the American people who are watching, there Congressional staff and expenses were also
more than ever. It is my hope that we can pro- is hope, and the help you need is on the way. added. This is disgraceful. Had the Speaker
vide additional relief to our farmers, ranchers, To small business owners, I say there is no allowed an up or down vote on including these
and foresters suffering from this crisis soon. more important provision in this bill than the funds, they would have been stripped from the
Finally, in an effort to protect the safety of Paycheck Protection Program. Through this bill with bipartisan support. Yet, Washington
this legislative body, this bill was largely nego- program or nation’s small businesses and as usual has resulted in their inclusion. The
tiated by a few individuals within our leader- 501(c)(3) nonprofits will be able to obtain a American people have a right to be angry
ship and the Administration. Their work, espe- new 100 percent federally backed loan at an about this pork. I hope there is bipartisan sup-
cially given the fact that they willingly put their attractive interest rate. These loans will feature port to rescind it in the coming days.
own health at risk, is commendable. However, an automatic deferral for 6 months. The provision of the bill designed to help
this came at the cost of a lack of input from Most importantly, if the small business or mid-sized companies also contains several
the vast majority of our constituents and led to non-profit uses their Paycheck Protection Pro- lines that—while they may seem innocuous—
the inclusion of funding priorities that should gram loan to cover their payroll, rent, mort- are special interest gifts to big labor. Specifi-
have been debated over the course of the reg- gage interest, or utilities during an eight-week cally, the bill requires that employers maintain
ular appropriations process. Programs like the period, the loan will be forgiven. The only re- existing collective bargaining agreements al-
National Endowment for the Arts, Corporation quirement for this forgiveness is for employers ready in place and requires neutrality in any
for Public Broadcasting, Institute of Museum to maintain their payroll or hire their workers attempt to unionize. Changing times call for
and Library Services, and the Kennedy Center back. Thus, we have effectively said to these changing agreements between management
total hundreds of millions of dollars in this bill. hurting small businesses, don’t close your and labor. By locking existing collective bar-
We must ensure that any future relief package doors and keep your employees. And, if you gaining agreements in place, we put the
is entirely focused on the Coronavirus relief, do those things, which are necessary for us to thumb on the scale of labor to the detriment
and that vital resources are directed in the exit the crisis quickly and effectively, we will of the health of the business. More fundamen-
most effective way possible. give you a grant. tally, ‘‘neutrality’’ in organizing means allowing
Congress specifically wrote this program to the union to talk to a business’s employees
f
utilize the existing SBA 7(a) loan program. Un- without the employer being able to present the
MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS like SBA disaster loans, these loans are gen- other side of what unionization could mean to
TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019 erated by private banks, credit unions, and the employer. This is fundamentally unfair to
other lending institutions. We did this purpose- employers and employees.
SPEECH OF fully. We don’t want bureaucrats at the SBA These provisions will undoubtedly make cer-
HON. BRADLEY BYRNE holding things up. We want the banks and tain industries and certain companies less like-
OF ALABAMA credit unions you trust to get the money out to ly to apply for the assistance they need to
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES you as quickly as possible. maintain their workforce. It will also provide an
For our nation’s workers who are struggling, unfair advantage to companies already union-
Friday, March 27, 2020 we have provided enhanced unemployment ized over those who are not and to areas of
Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to benefits for those who have lost their job be- the country that have a heavy union presence.
speak in support of the CARES Act. The situa- cause of the coronavirus through no fault of Union membership is declining nationwide. We
tion on the ground demands action, which we their own. I strongly support this aid to help don’t need a union bailout in a bill to help with
must provide today. the millions who have been laid off and fur- the coronavirus recovery.
Last week, 3.3 million Americans filed for loughed get through this difficult time. Finally, I note the enormous price tag of this
unemployment. Small businesses around this Unfortunately, it is my fear that in our haste bill. We should all pause to think about over
country are shuttering. Millions of Americans to help, we may have done real economic $2 trillion—the largest appropriations bill in the
and their children are at home practicing so- harm. Almost everyone supports enhanced history of the Congress—being rung up on our
cial distancing, a term that few knew 2 weeks unemployment benefits for those who have nation’s credit card with little warning. I do not
ago. Countless others are on the front lines in lost their job due to COVID–19, but by having question the need for such a major economic
our hospitals, doctors’ offices, and pharmacies a flat $600 benefit for many workers on top of rescue package but we cannot continue to
or simply checking us out at the grocery store. their normal state benefit, we will put some borrow in good times with the idea that we will
The American people need our help. workers in a better position to not work than simply borrow even more in the bad. America
No region or section of the economy has they would have been had they not been laid must have a serious conversation about how
been spared by this pandemic but South Ala- off due to the pandemic. This could lead to much government we are willing to pay for.
bama, which I represent, has been particularly employers increasing layoffs and could cause This crisis should show us that the inter-
hit hard. Millions of Americans come here employees to fail to seek to work once the cri- national order for things that we have de-
every year to enjoy the weather, the beaches, sis is abated. Not only is this a recipe for a pended on for decades is not more than a cri-
and our southern way of life during the March government financed work disincentive, but sis away from a collapse. Today it is a med-
and April Spring Break seasons. This all the loss of these workers from the economy ical supply collapse. Tomorrow it may be our
dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with REMARKS
changed overnight. Countless small business could strain our recovery. Basic economics debt. No party is without blame for our debt
owners have lost one of their busiest times of should dictate to all of us that we should never situation. Many things must change in the
the year, and thousands of hard-working Ala- make the cost of not working better than the aftermath of this crisis, and we must ensure
bamians have been let go from their job cost of working. For that reason, I am deeply that our lack of fiscal responsibility is one of
through no fault of their own. disappointed that the Democrats in the House them.
The Constitution states that private property and the Senate refused to provide for a simple Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is there are
shall not be taken for public use without just fix to cure this issue. many things in this bill I do not like. There are
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