COVID-19 Language Access Act (Cong. Rec., April 28, 2020)

Summary

Page E403 of the Extensions of Remarks section of the Congressional Record for April 28, 2020, with statements by McCaul, Meng, García of Illinois and Malinowski. McCaul addresses America's global leadership during COVID-19 and says the U.S. has provided $775 million to over 100 countries to combat the spread of COVID-19. Meng discusses the COVID-19 Language Access Act, which would require any federal agency that receives coronavirus-related funding to provide written COVID-19 resources in 19 languages. García introduces the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2020, and Malinowski recognizes Peter Klein, a World War II veteran.

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“COVID-19 Language Access Act (Cong. Rec., April 28, 2020).” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-04-28-crec-2020-04-28-pt1-pge403-2-67e723afa2/, SHA-256 530d7eef0095ae22df3bf76d6c992671b12ec8a52f5d73ee9aba5023c06fc653.

Full text

April 28, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E403
AMERICA’S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP existing humanitarian crises, security threats, War II veteran and beloved member of the
DURING COVID–19 and development challenges are compounded VFW Post No. 335 in Cranford, NJ.
and exacerbated. The U.S. must be strategic Mr. Klein is typical of his war time genera-
HON. MICHAEL T. McCAUL in our investments and adapt and prioritize our tion. He is soft-spoken, and self-effacing,
OF TEXAS assistance to prevent further destabilization never bringing up his wartime experiences un-
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES and conflict in the wake of COVID–19. Other- less you broach the subject first. Even then,
wise, the cost, in both lives and foreign assist- his humility is an obstacle you must overcome
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
ance dollars will be exponential in the long to get him to truly discuss his history, and his-
Mr. MCCAUL. Madam Speaker, while we run. tory is what he does indeed possess.
must continue to focus on flattening the curve I applaud Representative YOHO and Rep- In World War Two, Peter Klein was a mili-
and supporting struggling Americans here at resentative BERA for organizing this special tary trained medic. He was armed in battle
home, we must also help combat the spread order and for working across the aisle to ad- with only his modest medical kit and the
of COVID–19 abroad. The pandemic is just dress this crucial issue. I would also like to knowledge he was taught on how to give first
beginning in many developing countries in the thank the frontline healthcare workers, both in aid and comfort to those down on the battle-
Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. It is my district and around the world, for their life- field of war. His very first opportunity to put his
not hard to imagine a worst-case scenario as saving work. Finally, I would like to thank the expertise to use was a significant one. Mr.
COVID–19 ravages these fragile nations, par- NGO community and the U.S. Global Leader- Klein was in the third wave of the D-Day inva-
ticularly in areas already plagued by conflict ship Coalition for their leadership and advo- sion at Omaha Beach, on June 6, 1944. Rush-
and extremism. The destabilizing impact that cacy. ing off the landing craft, he soon found himself
the virus will have on economies, government f knee deep in sand tending to those boys who
institutions, and communities is deeply con- had fallen while machine gun bursts flew
cerning. COVID–19 LANGUAGE ACCESS ACT above his head.
This is a global pandemic, and the work that As if D-Day wasn’t enough, he went on to
we do overseas makes us safer here at home, HON. GRACE MENG see action during the frigid Battle of the Bulge
too, as this virus continue to spread. Since the OF NEW YORK and Hurtgen Forest, in Germany as well.
outbreak began, the U.S. has provided $775 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES These were two of most significant events of
million to over 100 countries around the world the latter stages of the war. Mr. Klein undoubt-
to combat the spread of COVID–19. This com- Tuesday, April 28, 2020
edly did his part in fulfilling his obligations to
mitment builds on over two decades of sus- Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I rise to high- the country he loves.
tained U.S. leadership and investment to light the critical need for translated COVID–19 Coming home after the war, Mr. Klein found
strengthen health systems and respond to in- outreach materials during this pandemic re- work as a mason and building inspector, rais-
fectious disease outbreaks. In addition, ac- sponse. We must ensure that language bar- ing a fine family in the town of Cranford, NJ.
cording to the State Department, the American riers do not prevent individuals from accessing His wife passed a few years ago and he will
people, NGOs, faith groups, and the private vital and potentially life-saving information. tell you his life will never be the same. He still
sector have also stepped up to provide an es- No one must be left in the dark. Each of us visits the VFW Post in Cranford on a weekly
timated $3 billion in donations and assistance must do our part to overcome this unprece- basis, ‘‘shooting the breeze’’ with his veteran
to save lives around the world. dented public health crisis. And yet, there are buddies and enjoying his 97th year of life. To
However, we must ensure that these vital over 25 million people across our nation who the men and women of the VFW post No.
resources are used as effectively and effi- have limited English proficiency. 335, he has always been and will always be
ciently, as possible. Unfortunately, the Chi- That is why I introduced the COVID–19 Lan- their ‘‘Pete,’’ a very special veteran.
nese Communist Party continues to cover up guage Access Act, which would require any Madam Speaker, please join me today in
their culpability—withholding test samples, federal agency that receives coronavirus-re- recognizing the extraordinary accomplish-
lying about mortality rates, and suppressing lated funding to provide COVID–19 written re- ments of Peter Klein.
doctors and journalists from covering the sources to the public in 19 languages: Span- f
facts-and ultimately undermining the global re- ish, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Haitian Cre-
sponse. I support the Trump administration’s ole, French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, INTRODUCTION OF THE HEALTH
efforts to insist on transparency and account- Laotian, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese, EQUITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
ability. This includes accountability at the Greek, Polish, Thai, and Portuguese. These ACT OF 2020
World Health Organization, which failed to im- selected languages are based on the lan-
mediately and effectively respond to this glob- guages required in the Federal Emergency HON. JESÚS G. ‘‘CHUY’’ GARCÍA
al pandemic. We cannot allow taxpayer re- Management Agency’s Language Access Plan OF ILLINOIS
sources to go toward organizations that were for Disaster Assistance. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
complicit in this cover up until there is ac- The CDC already provides language acces-
countability. Tuesday, April 28, 2020
sibility telephone services in 16 languages and
Our assistance must not only consider the some COVID–19–related material in up to 14 Mr. GARCÍA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I
short-term needs of vulnerable populations languages. Additionally, the CARES Act re- rise to introduce the Health Equity and Ac-
and our partners overseas, but also longer- quires the SBA to provide resources in 10 lan- countability Act of 2020.
term recovery efforts to generate economic guages. The coronavirus (COVID–19) pandemic is
growth and opportunity. In this unpredictable Madam Speaker, fighting this pandemic re- disproportionately affecting communities of
time, authoritarian regimes, terrorist groups, quires the collaboration of everyone. But to do color—including Latino, African American, and
and hostile nation states will try to take advan- so, we must eliminate any language barrier for Asian American communities—who already
tage of the chaos for strategic gains. The Chi- our constituents, so that they are best pre- face exacerbated risk factors for health inequi-
nese Communist Party, acting as both the ar- pared, informed, and ready to fight against this ties. This unprecedented public health crisis
sonist and the firefighter, is leveraging this pandemic. I urge my colleagues to support underscores the health disparities and racial
pandemic to project their power and influence this legislation. inequities that have existed in the U.S. health
through economic dependencies created by f care system for many years. Most importantly,
their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As African it points to the need to implement a com-
nations cry out for much-needed debt relief RECOGNIZING THE OUTSTANDING prehensive and strategic plan to improve the
from China’s predatory BRI lending, reports ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MR. health and well-being of communities of color
are already emerging that China is seeking to PETER KLEIN through a health equity perspective, which the

SSpencer on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with REMARKS
condition relief on the handover of strategic Health Equity Accountability Act (HEAA) puts
assets, such as copper mining assets in Zam- HON. TOM MALINOWSKI forth.
bia. OF NEW JERSEY HEAA 2020 provides critical federal re-
We must consider the follow-on shocks of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES sources and establishes policies and infra-
COVID–19—on nascent democracies, structure to eliminate long-standing health in-
counterterrorism operations, refugee camps, Tuesday, April 28, 2020 equities. It would improve data collection and
vaccination campaigns, education systems, Mr. MALINOWSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise reporting, expand access to health care, build
food security, and nutrition interventions—as today to recognize the Peter Klein, a World more robust telehealth systems, implement

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