Congressional Record, House, September 22, 2020, Page H4646

Summary

A page of the Congressional Record, House, dated September 22, 2020, at page H4646, with floor remarks. A Member thanks the schedulers in the office for their work and apologizes for the frustration they absorbed while fitting 36 hours of work into a 24-hour day. Another speaker says the President was recorded admitting to journalist Bob Woodward that the coronavirus is an airborne pathogen more deadly than the flu while publicly downplaying it, and that Politico found at least 15 examples of him praising China's response. The speaker urges the Senate to pass the HEROES Act, and the page ends with a tribute to a Gunner's Mate Second Class whose remains were buried as unknown.

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“Congressional Record, House, September 22, 2020, Page H4646.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-09-22-crec-2020-09-22-pt1-pgh4646-8ed0a15b14/, SHA-256 e72dce5564a92c87352b90b7d44a74d49f863b6c44818b83355fdc0a931a2a4a.

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H4646 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 22, 2020
one at 7 p.m., and then dinner at an- hard to contain the coronavirus. The should file for bankruptcy instead, and
other location at 7:30 p.m.? The sched- United States greatly appreciates their the Senate would wait and see. Wait
uler did. efforts and transparency.’’ He made for what? Haven’t we seen? We have
Who scheduled the flight to get me similar remarks again on January 30 waited 4 months and paid dearly for it.
home, and then had to sweat as to and on February 7. The very same day Enough of this craven politics.
whether I could make the early flight President Trump was privately admit- Senators, consider your oath to the
or not? Who received my continuous ting to journalist Bob Woodward that people you serve. What will you say
calls asking them if I thought I could the coronavirus is an airborne patho- when they ask what you did to stop
make it? The scheduler did. Who wait- gen more deadly than the flu. this disease from stealing their loved
ed in the car for that final vote just to Despite his full awareness of the dan- ones; from destroying their small busi-
see me run down the stairs and tell ger, he kept going, praising China and ness? What will you say to the teachers
them, let’s go, just to get caught in publicly downplaying the coronavirus that are being laid off as States and
traffic in the plaza, traffic on Inde- threat. Politico has found at least 15 cities drastically cut their budgets?
pendence Avenue, and traffic on Inter- examples of President Trump publicly From undermining America’s standing
state 395? The scheduler did. praising China’s coronavirus response in the world?
Who had to put up with the worst during this period, including on Feb- To my colleagues, I say this: We have
backseat driver in Washington, D.C.? ruary 10, 13, 18, 23, 26, 27, and 29. He said a plan. Join us. Let’s invest heavily in
The scheduler did. My schedulers took it over and over. research and follow science and public
the brunt of my frustration as we tried In the following weeks and months, health guidance. They are the fastest
to fit 36 hours of work into a 24-hour he would repeatedly downplay the dan- route to get us to the other side of this
day. They took the barbs of criticism ger and suggest, fully aware of his de- crisis. Our HEROES Act gets it done.
when I missed my family. ception, that this virus was comparable Let’s deliver emergency funding to
If there was ever a single group that to a seasonal flu. sustain local essential services, and the
I need to apologize to, it is them. Hav- President Trump’s deception on these salaries of first responders, nurses,
ing said this, this group of workers pro- matters is not opinion, he was re- teachers, infrastructure maintenance
fessionally conducted their job with corded. He is literally on the record workers, and many more. The HEROES
poise, confidence, efficiency, and com- saying that he intended to downplay Act gets that done, too. Let’s save lives
passion. I can say without hesitation this disease and deny the American and turn the corner on this crisis with
that because of me, the toughest job in people the information we would need a coordinated national plan for testing
my office is that of the scheduler. to make vital decisions for ourselves, and tracing. The HEROES Act gets it
Matt, Janet, Jake Carren, Virginia, our families, our communities, and in- done.
Jordan, Joy, Perry, and Molly, I thank Let’s deliver the financial support
deed, our Nation.
you. Every death that resulted from this our essential workers, unemployed
f was a tragedy. In February, President workers, and financially strained
WE MUST ADVANCE URGENTLY Trump said, ‘‘It is going to disappear Americans need to weather the storm.
NEEDED CORONAVIRUS ASSIST- one day. It is like a miracle, it will dis- The HEROES Act gets it done. Let’s
ANCE appear.’’ He knew better. rescue our schools, our healthcare pro-
At this point the virus had been viders, our first responders, our
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The
given nearly 2 months to circulate un- hungriest families. The Republican
Chair recognizes the gentleman from
checked. Americans were still going skinny bill just doesn’t get it done. I
New York (Mr. TONKO) for 5 minutes.
Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, this body about our daily lives, flocking to movie say pass the HEROES Act.
must advance urgently needed theaters, churches, synagogues, going The SPEAKER pro tempore. Mem-
coronavirus assistance. to Mardi Gras, going on spring break, bers are reminded to refrain from en-
Secretary of Health and Human Serv- unaware of the true extent of the gaging in personalities toward the
ices Alex Azar said, ‘‘Every death we threats spreading all around us. President.
experience is a tragedy.’’ When he said On March 11, President Trump took f
it, the United States had just hit the only his second major national step, b 0930
grim milestone of 100,000 souls lost another travel ban. It was around this
from the COVID pandemic. That was time that Congress stepped up the HONORING HAROLD LEE DICK
mid-May, around the same time Demo- scale of our response to this threat. We The SPEAKER pro tempore. The
crats advanced the HEROES Act in the moved quickly to pass the CARES Act, Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
House. In the 4 months that followed, including delivering emergency funds Missouri (Mrs. HARTZLER) for 5 min-
100,000 more Americans have died as for America’s hospital and staff, small utes.
the epidemic has spiraled out of con- business owners, laid off workers, and Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise
trol, and chaos has continued to reign everyday Americans facing unprece- today to honor the life of Harold Lee
from the White House. dented fear and uncertainty. Dick, Gunner’s Mate Second Class, who
We have reached the breaking point. The CARES Act was a rescue plan. It was one of 43 brave men who paid the
Plain and simple, it is time for the wasn’t perfect, but it was America’s ultimate sacrifice on July 24, 1944,
Senate to pass our comprehensive res- first real effort to stem the tide. That aboard the USS Colorado.
cue package or offer a real alternative rescue was powerful, but it was no sub- While serving aboard the USS Colo-
of their own. No more waiting. No stitute for executive leadership. Sadly, rado, Gunner’s Mate Second Class Dick
more excuses. we are still waiting for executive lead- supported landings on Tarawa, the
Throughout this crisis, the Senate ership. Marshall Islands, Saigon, Guam, and
majority has abdicated responsibility Between March and May, America Tinian, where he ultimately lost his
to this President’s insufficient leader- saw its death toll skyrocket past life.
ship and papered over his deadly short- 100,000. The Members of this Chamber Although he was initially listed as
comings. For the lives and livelihood of again moved swiftly to advance an- missing in action, his body and those of
every one of my constituents, I beg my other rescue package, the HEROES his deceased shipmates were recovered
colleagues on the other side of the Cap- Act. Since the House passed the HE- and preserved in the 4th Marine Divi-
itol to seize this moment to follow a ROES Act on May 15, more than 110,000 sion Cemetery on Saipan. Once the war
new guide. Americans have died of COVID–19. had ended, Dick’s remains were pre-
Let that guide be science. Let it be For comparison, this is the equiva- served for identification and transpor-

ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with HOUSE
truth, because politics, really, truly lent of losing every soul living in Al- tation back to the United States.
bad politics, has brought America low bany, New York, our State capital, Unfortunately, Gunner’s Mate Sec-
in the face of this crisis. But it is not that I represent. And that is just the ond Class Dick’s remains were unable
too late. recorded death toll since mid-May. to be identified, so he was buried as un-
On January 22, President Trump Senate Majority Leader MITCH known at the Manila American Ceme-
tweeted ‘‘China has been working very MCCONNELL responded that States tery in the Philippines. However,

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