More COVID Relief Is Needed (Cong. Rec., Oct. 1, 2020)
Summary
Page H5113 of the House section of the Congressional Record for October 1, 2020, with one-minute speeches in interleaved columns, headed More COVID Relief Is Needed. A speaker says Disney announced 23,000 layoffs because of the collapse in visits and that Connecticut's two large Native American casinos have recalled only about half their workforce, urging relief, which is that speaker's view. Another speaker says Senate Democrats refused to discuss forestry reforms and that 3.5 million acres of Forest Service land have burned. Statements also recognize Fire Prevention Week, remember Dr. V, and recall the history of Contract Day in the Danish West Indies.
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“More COVID Relief Is Needed (Cong. Rec., Oct. 1, 2020).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-10-01-crec-2020-10-01-pt1-pgh5113-2-6e85661b24/
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October 1, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5113
Dr. V passed away in 2006, but his leg- by the House Agriculture Committee any district all across America, talk to
acy continues to give eyesight to those and on the floor. anyone who is involved in the tourism
who otherwise would be blind, and his However, Senate Democrats have re- destination.
story continues to inspire millions. fused to even discuss these needed re- Disney announced 23,000 layoffs on
His life is best celebrated by his own forms. Since these provisions were re- Monday, again, because of the collapse
words: jected, 3.5 million acres of Forest Serv- in visits because of the COVID pan-
When we identify ourselves with all that is ice land have burned. demic.
in the world, there is no exploitation. It is Wildfire response and recovery ef- In Connecticut, we have two large,
ourselves we are helping. It is ourselves we forts should not be a partisan issue. We Native-American casinos, Foxwoods
are healing. are blessed as a nation to have hun- and Mohegan. They have started par-
f dreds of millions of acres of beautiful tial operations, but still, half their
RECOGNIZING FIRE PREVENTION forestlands, and the best way to pre- workforce, again, has not been re-
WEEK vent forest fires is through a well-man- called, again, because it is just not safe
aged forest. for people to have gatherings in large
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Mr. Speaker, well-managed forests, density.
Chair recognizes the gentleman from again, are the largest carbon sinks in Tuesday night, the President of the
Pennsylvania (Mr. THOMPSON) for 5 the world and the greatest filters for United States, before the American
minutes. our watersheds that originate in those people, made the claim that: nothing
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. forests. Our forests provide great op- to worry about; we are in a V-shaped
Mr. Speaker, I rise as a former State portunities for outdoor recreation, but recovery.
certified firefighter one from Pennsyl- they are also unparalleled environ- Well, tell that to the airline workers.
vania. As we kick off the month of Oc- mental tools. Our national forests Tell that to the people in the res-
tober, I mention that next week is Fire serve as some of the Nation’s largest taurant and hospitality sector. Tell
Prevention Week. carbon sinks. that to the people in the tourism sec-
In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge es- This Fire Prevention Week, I would tor.
tablished Fire Prevention Week, and like to encourage everyone to brush up Again, all across America, 780,000
today it is the longest running public on their fire safety measures, and I re- new unemployment claims yesterday
health observance in the Nation. It is iterate just how crucial healthy forests across this country.
celebrated each year during the week are in preventing wildfires. We are not in a V-shaped recovery.
of October 9 to commemorate the dev- I thank the brave men and women We have got a lot of businesses out
astating Great Chicago Fire. who are on the front lines fighting there working their tails off to get
This is an opportunity to educate one those devastating fires out West. back to work and to get normalcy
another on simple measures we can all back. But the fact of the matter is, as
f
take to prevent fires at home. You can Jerome Powell, President Trump’s own
bolster your family’s safety by testing MORE COVID RELIEF IS NEEDED chairman of the Federal Reserve
your fire alarms monthly, giving home The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Board, has said repeatedly: Until we
heaters appropriate space, and having Chair recognizes the gentleman from get control of COVID, we are not going
an escape plan if, God forbid, your Connecticut (Mr. COURTNEY) for 5 min- to have a sustained economic recovery
home does catch fire. utes. that is going to bring back the jobs
We must also do more to prevent Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, as we that, again, we have lost in the mil-
wildfires. As former chairman of the stand here on October 1, a few hours lions.
Subcommittee on Conservation and ago the leadership of airline industries So here we are. We are on the verge,
Forestry, I have been a part of many all across America announced very sad again, of another wave of job losses in
conversations, meetings, and hearings news for their workforce. The fact of this country. And the question of the
about how we can better prevent forest the matter is that, with CARES Act day is whether Congress is going to
devastation as a result of wildfires. money expiring at midnight last night, step up like it did four times pre-
We continue to see devastating massive layoffs are now going to be im- viously on a bipartisan basis to pass
wildfires on the West Coast. Homes, plemented over the next few days and COVID relief? The CARES Act being,
businesses, and forests are burning to weeks. obviously, the biggest one back in
the ground. The air quality is dan- American Airlines and United Air- March, which, again, the American
gerous, and millions of Americans are lines, together, about 32,000 workers people are desperate for us to move out
at risk. are going to be laid off today, this on.
For decades, the health and resil- morning. Again, other airlines are A couple of days ago, the Speaker re-
iency of our national forests have been doing exactly the same thing. leased a package, which for the first
in decline due to a lack of management The impact, the ripple effect in terms time included a COVID relief extension
and, more recently, extreme environ- of the collapse of consumer demand be- for airline workers, which, again,
mental policies. cause international air travel is vir- would avoid the bloodbath that is
With nearly 90 million acres of tually nonexistent, domestic air travel going to happen in terms of jobs in the
forestland in need of urgent treatment, is way down and it is going to stay next few hours in this country.
Congress needs to finally act and pro- down for months to come, has resulted, Finally, we have seen the Secretary
vide the tools and authorities to enable again, in a ripple effect in the aero- of the Treasury show up here at the
the Forest Service to proactively man- space industry. building 130 days after we passed the
age. Doing so will directly help prevent Heroes Act to have a serious conversa-
wildfire outbreaks, support our local b 0930 tion about getting some COVID relief
communities, and restore the health of Raytheon Technologies up in New out there to, again, stabilize this econ-
our Nation’s forests. And a healthy for- England, which is the parent company omy.
est is one of the largest carbon sinks in of Pratt & Whitney, announced 16,000 We can do this. And I say that be-
the world. layoffs, again, because the commercial cause we have done it four times al-
The 2018 House-passed farm bill con- airline industry’s demand is basically ready acting on a bipartisan basis.
tained bipartisan, commonsense forest drying up. What we have to do, though, is just
management provisions to help prevent Boeing industry announced 16,000 sort of drop the happy talk about the
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
loss of life and property from these layoffs also because of the same reason. fact that this virus, we are on the other
fires. These bipartisan authorities were The commercial sector in terms of air- side of it, nothing to worry about, V-
created with input from the U.S. For- line orders, again, has completely dried shaped recovery.
est Service under both the Obama and up. It is really just almost insulting to
Trump administrations. These were They are not the only sector that are the American people to spin that kind
ideas that were well vetted through still struggling in this COVID reces- of message out there when people are
hearings and markups and supported sion. Talk to any restaurant owner in struggling, having their unemployment
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H5114 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 1, 2020
benefits run out, their economic im- Today and every day, we should cele- improvement in their living condi-
pact payments have long since been brate your accomplishments and the tions, healthcare, education, income,
spent, they have got rent due, they strides you continue to make. and their movement was restricted. I
have got utility bills due. They want to Though we may not be able to con- am sure many of my African-American
go back to work, but the fact of the gratulate you all in person, please brothers and sisters recall this hap-
matter is, we are still not there yet know we will always celebrate you no pening in the United States after the
where we can have a sustained eco- matter how close or how far away you Civil War.
nomic recovery. may be. The newly freed workers found that
Mr. Speaker, I plead with my col- May God bless you, your families, the low wages and new restrictions
leagues on the other side, who, again, and the United States of America. made living impossible. It was freedom
have whip notices going out to oppose LIFE IS WINNING in name only.
any Heroes 2.0 or anything like it, to Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. These conditions, along with the in-
please just think about the success Speaker, life is winning. ability to vote, to participate in any
that we did back in March when we Recently, a great new book by Mar- aspect of the Danish Government at
passed the CARES package, which to jorie Dannenfelser, President of the the time, created an incredibly unten-
this day is still providing some benefit. Susan B. Anthony List, has been pub- able life.
Those new rapid tests that the Presi- lished that is entitled, ‘‘Life Is Win- Before October 1 of 1878, rumors cir-
dent announced a couple of days ago, ning.’’ culated that the law was going to im-
which is a wonderful development, was Currently, I am halfway through the prove. When the workers realized on
paid for by the CARES Act, but we book, but can wholeheartedly rec- October 1 that those rumors were false,
need more. ommend it to anyone who is interested the frustration and anger from the past
And Jerome Powell has warned us re- in learning about the fight for life in 30 years of unfair treatment and harsh
peatedly since May that the CARES our country and to learn more about labor practices after obtaining freedom
Act was a great achievement by Con- the role of elected officials in this ignited a protest that led to a rebellion
gress, but we need to have more fiscal fight. in Frederiksted on the Island of St.
stimulus until we get past this pan- Many people, publicly known and un- Croix.
demic. known, have been working diligently That rebellion, that uprising, was led
Again, the clock is now ticking. by four women, our Virgin Island
And, again, Mr. Speaker, for the sake to preserve what our Declaration of
Independence says we are guaranteed: Queens: Mary Thomas, Mathilda
of all of us and our fellow citizens, Macbean, Susanna ‘‘Bottom Belly’’
please let’s come together and get a life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi-
ness. Abrahamson, and Axeline ‘‘Queen
COVID relief bill passed this week. Agnes’’ Salomon demanded all planta-
Mr. Speaker, without question, life is
f tions improve workers’ wages and re-
the fundamental component to liberty
RECOGNIZING MEMBERS OF THE and the pursuit of happiness. peal the Labor Act of 1849 that kept
ARMED FORCES Mr. Speaker, I thank Marjorie, all workers in serf-like conditions. More
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The the staff at Susan B. Anthony, the staff than half of the city of Frederiksted
Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from at National Right to Life, and the won- burned, along with the estates, the
North Carolina (Ms. FOXX) for 5 min- derful people at the State and local plantations across the western and
utes. levels who pray diligently and work northern part of the island.
Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. every day to promote the culture of The Danish Crown jailed about 400
Speaker, in November, thousands of life, which we know is supported by a and executed more than 100 people.
marines will graduate from Marine majority of Americans. Women were burned at the stake after
Corps Infantry Training Battalion. Mr. Speaker, I thank President molasses was poured on them, but their
These brave men and women will go on Trump and Vice-President PENCE for heroic and sacrificial acts, like those
to serve and protect the United States their steadfast support of life. They un- who earned our freedom 30 years prior,
and our allies across the world. derstand that life must be protected inspired change.
One such marine is Rece T. Rader and fought for at every turn. My ancestors, men and women, were
from Winston-Salem. His mother, An- f willing not only to fight, but to die for
gela, recently wrote to me about his the cause of equality and the dignity of
CONTRACT DAY a living wage and fair working condi-
graduation from boot camp at Parris
Island and his subsequent move to The SPEAKER pro tempore. The tions.
Camp Geiger. Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from That fight, of course, continues
In her letter, she spoke passionately the Virgin Islands (Ms. PLASKETT) for 5 today, not just for Virgin Islanders, but
about how COVID–19 has made it in- minutes. for indigenous people throughout our
credibly hard for military families to Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, today Nation and territories.
celebrate alongside their loved ones we have been asked to wear white to October is part of Indigenous Peoples
who have completed their program re- honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She rep- Day, honoring the centuries-long
quirements. resents the tremendous struggle and struggle of people against the horrors
Her story applies to so many fami- fight for women’s equality. of genocide, colonialism, imperialism,
lies, and it highlights the importance In the Virgin Islands, today, October and the present conditions of unfair
of recognizing the many accomplish- 1, is formally known as Contract Day. labor laws, discrimination, and unequal
ments of these airmen, marines, sol- It honors and celebrates four women, voting rights.
diers, sailors, and guardsmen. our four queens, that led the St. Croix From Carib Indians fighting off Co-
COVID–19 has disrupted the lives of Labor Rebellion of 1878, also known to lumbus on the island of Ay Ay—what is
all Americans in many ways. us as Fireburn. now the island of St. Croix in the Vir-
It is, however, very unfortunate that After slaves in the Danish West In- gin Islands, the first place of armed re-
COVID–19 has deprived the service- dies organized, fought, and took their sistance to Columbus in the New
members of the physical and moral freedom from chattel slavery in 1848, a World—to the four queens, as I men-
support that comes with the attend- new type of slavery was formed in a tioned, of Fireburn; D. Hamilton Jack-
ance of their families at graduation labor bill in the following year to regu- son, honored in November, fighting the
ceremonies. late the conditions of the now free Danish Crown for freedom of speech,
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
To all servicemembers who are cur- workers. people on my island and all over the
rently preparing for duty: We are in- The law stipulated a day wage, and world continue to demand and fight for
credibly proud of you. Your hard work confined workers to one plantation freedom, equality, and fairness.
and dedication have not gone unno- each year that could only change on Much like the atmosphere of the
ticed, and you serve as the role models Contract Day, October 1. Danish West Indies, our Nation is in a
that young people look to for inspira- Former slaves worked on the same tumultuous but necessary time of
tion. plantations as before, with little to no change.
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