Congressional Record — Senate, S7042 (November 17, 2020)
Summary
Page S7042 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for November 17, 2020, in interleaved columns. A tribute honors Colleen Healy of the Joint Economic Committee, who studied at Penn State, came to Washington in 1977 and is described by its vice chair as the administrator, historian and heart of the committee. Another speaker says the CARES Act provided $27 billion for COVID countermeasures including vaccine development and that a stimulus package is needed because economic growth has slowed as the pandemic worsened, which is that speaker's view. A unanimous consent request on Internet of Things security standards for Federal devices follows.
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“Congressional Record — Senate, S7042 (November 17, 2020).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-11-17-crec-2020-11-17-pt1-pgs7042-b1d617f51a/
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S7042 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 17, 2020
Colleen next attended Penn State, each and every day. Mother Teresa commitment and ingenuity of our re-
where she earned her B.A. in Spanish once advised: ‘‘Let no one ever come to searchers, our scientists, and our man-
and Latin American Studies. After you without leaving better and ufacturers.
graduating and teaching Spanish for happier.’’ I can think of no better way The bipartisan CARES Act we passed
several years in Florida, she came to to describe how Colleen Healy lives her here in March with unanimous support
Washington in 1977, first working for life. provided $27 billion in funding for coun-
Representative Joseph Ammerman of In the words of the JEC vice chair, termeasures against COVID, including
Pennsylvania as his executive sec- Representative DON BEYER, ‘‘Colleen is funding this important vaccine devel-
retary. Colleen then found her calling the JEC’s administrator, historian, opment research. It was money well
in the Joint Economic Committee, sage, and most important, the heart spent.
where she has made an indelible mark and soul of the committee. She is re- Thanks to these funds and the inno-
on generations of Representatives, Sen- spected and beloved by decades of JEC vative approach by the administration,
ators, and staff ever since. Senate and House Members of both par- we have been able to invest in building
Colleen has now served on the JEC ties, as well as generations of staff. Her the infrastructure to begin manufac-
staff for more than half the time the decades of service have been invalu- turing these vaccines now so that if the
committee has even been in existence. able.’’ vaccine is approved, we can quickly
All great institutions, of course, de- We are all better and happier for it. ramp up distribution. This two-track
pend on institutional memory. The I thank Colleen for her service to the approach also involves ramping up
Joint Economic Committee depends on committee, and I hope we are lucky large-scale clinical trials, which are
Colleen Healy. That is why for decades enough to get another 40 years with her critical to furthering our scientific un-
the first decision every incoming JEC derstanding of this pandemic and
serving on the Joint Economic Com-
chair has made, whether the chair hap- verifying the safety and effectiveness
mittee.
pens to be from the House or the Sen- of these vaccines. By using these
I yield the floor.
ate, happens to be a Democrat or a Re- CARES Act funds to invest in both re-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
publican, the first decision made over search and trials and in manufacturing
ator from Ohio.
and over again is retaining Colleen’s at the same time, we are able to ensure
f that the trials are thorough and me-
invaluable services as financial direc-
tor. CORONAVIRUS thodical while also ensuring that if and
Colleen is the reason the JEC is Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I when approved there is vaccine ready
known across Capitol Hill for being one am here on the floor of the Senate to- to be distributed.
of the most cooperative and congenial At the same time, the Food and Drug
night to talk about the encouraging
committees to work for, to work with, Administration, which is the Federal
progress we have seen in finding a vac-
or to serve on because both sides trust agency responsible for approving the
cine for the COVID–19 virus that has
Colleen. They also know they can trust use of any new vaccine, has followed
disrupted all of our lives and caused
each other. That has a ripple effect the science and moved cautiously. As
such great damage over the past year.
that is undeniably positive. an example, they have actually raised
From the early days of this
Staffers trust that they can always the standards needed for giving an
coronavirus pandemic, a public-private
go to Colleen with their questions and emergency use authorization for a vac-
partnership has employed scientists
their problems, whether it is about the cine. Normally, a vaccine only needs to
who have worked around-the-clock to
committee process or procedure, and be effective about 50 percent of the
prevent people from getting infected by
receive gracious, knowledgeable, con- time to be approved under the EUA,
developing effective vaccines. We saw emergency use authorization, but with
sistent, honest answers. the results of this effort in the last
But even more impressive than her the coronavirus vaccine, the standard
week with announcements from Pfizer is much higher. By requiring compa-
acumen is her essential kindness and and now Moderna that their interim
grace. Colleen is known to get a flag nies to collect more rigorous informa-
success rates were above 90 percent tion to show longer lasting results
flown over the Capitol for each new during their trials. Other companies
baby born to a coworker. Staffers past from their respective vaccine can-
have vaccines at various stages of de- didates, this will help ensure greater
and present joke that you can’t walk 10
velopment, and there is hope that they confidence in the system, and I am
minutes with Colleen from her office in
will have similar results. grateful that they took these addi-
the Dirksen Building and get very far
Getting safe and effective vaccines tional careful steps.
because she has befriended literally ev-
across the finish line will be a monu- This progress on the vaccine is crit-
eryone across the Capitol complex, re-
mental achievement. Not only are we ical for our economic recovery as well.
membering personal details about their
witnessing unprecedented progress in When a vaccine and therapeutics are
lives and their families and stopping to
creating an effective widespread vac- authorized by the FDA and made wide-
talk with each person along the way.
From Members to staffers, to interns cine, we are doing so at a speed un- ly available and people actually get
and custodians, Colleen never misses heard of in modern medical history. vaccinated, all of us will feel safer re-
an opportunity to make every single This result is going to be our best hope turning to the workplace, retail estab-
person feel important and valued and of getting out of this pandemic. With lishments, restaurants, churches and
necessary. That, again, has ripple ef- cases rising not only across the coun- other places of worship, and schools, as
fects that are always positive in any try but around the world, we are run- well as feeling more comfortable gath-
organization and certainly are on the ning out of other tools needed to stop ering with friends and family. We will
JEC. the pandemic. I support the social finally be able to truly reopen and get
As one former coworker put it, when distancing, wearing of masks, PPE, the millions of Americans back to work. In
you talk to Colleen, you are instantly testing, but I believe widespread inocu- short, a widely available vaccine is our
made to feel like the most special, lation is the most effective way to best bet for getting America back to
loved, and cared-for person on Earth. avoid the negative economic and social normal—something we all are des-
When you step into her office, you impacts the virus and the subsequent perate for.
know she is ready to laugh, listen, or mitigation efforts have caused. Last month, I received a briefing
cry with you. If these vaccines receive the expected from CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting
As another has said, despite the emergency use authorization from the Services, a research company that is
length of time she has worked in Wash- Food and Drug Administration over based in my hometown of Cincinnati,
ington, DC, Colleen still exudes the coming weeks and months, this OH. I met with them to receive a brief-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
warmth and joy—a spirit that per- will be a testament to the unprece- ing to find out what is going on in Ohio
meates the committee and touches ev- dented support that Congress has pro- and what they are doing around the
eryone she meets. This in a city not vided for vaccine development, the country. CTI is a global leader in actu-
necessarily known for those traits. Trump administration’s innovative ap- ally executing these clinical trials that
And though she lives it out quietly, proach to cut bureaucratic redtape we always talk about for these vac-
she gives witness to her Catholic faith with Operation Warp Speed, and the cines and therapeutics, and right now
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November 17, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7043
they are helping to conduct clinical that these new vaccines being devel- at a time when the economy is still
trials on a potential COVID vaccine oped are safe and effective. The more down 10 million jobs since February.
being developed by a number of compa- folks participate in these trials, the What we really don’t want is for those
nies, including Janssen, J & J. That is sooner they will have the complete ten million people, in a slowdown of
Janssen, Johnson & Johnson. data to finalize this phase of the trial the economy, to become long-term un-
I was impressed with the progress and move on to the FDA approval proc- employed and who may never reenter
they had made in their phase 1 and ess. the workforce. And, of course, certain
phase 2 trials for the J & J vaccine, as But just as important as partici- sectors—like hospitality, restaurants,
well as the precautions they are taking pating in these vaccine trials is what hotels, travel, and entertainment—are
with regard to safety and privacy of we do here as legislators in Congress to still struggling badly, with no end in
participants in the trial. In fact, the ensure that these vaccines can con- sight, as some States are beginning to
previous trial of this vaccine found 99 tinue to be developed and deployed re-implement stricter social distancing
percent of participants developed anti- safely and rapidly. As I mentioned ear- measurers and even to close down these
bodies to COVID–19, and 98 percent still lier, the CARES Act provided $27 bil- facilities in order to counter the spread
had these antibodies in their system lion for the development of vaccines of the virus.
after 29 days. These are encouraging and other countermeasures—an unprec- I am pleased that Leader MCCONNELL
figures that suggest that this J & J edented show of support from Congress has called on Congress to work to-
vaccine could prove to be another use- in our fight to defeat the underlying gether to pass another coronavirus re-
ful tool in our toolkit to fight COVID– healthcare challenges of this pandemic. sponse package before the end of the
19, but there is still a lot of work to be Unfortunately, since that bill was year. We can’t afford to wait any
done. passed—the CARES bill—way back in longer. It is my hope that my Demo-
CTI explained to me that they were March, 8 months ago, we have been un- cratic colleagues recognize the urgency
focused on encouraging more people to able to focus on following up with more as well. And I have talked to a number
join their trials. I asked if it would funding to help this effort. Twenty- of them who do. We have to refrain
help if I signed up, and they said yes. seven billion dollars is a lot of money, from making this political at this
Along with tens of thousands of other but it only gets us so far in an effort point. We have to figure out how to
participants, I am now joining this like this. work together to find common ground.
trial for this promising new vaccine. What is also missing from the uses If we can come together and get a bi-
Like other participants in the pro- for this $27 billion is the ability to fund partisan coronavirus bill passed before
gram, I don’t know if I got the vaccine a campaign to explain to Americans the end of this year that takes a com-
or if I got a placebo. that there is a safe and effective vac- monsense approach targeting the
I enrolled in this vaccine trial for cine out there that they can use, that healthcare challenges of this pandemic,
really three reasons. One is because I the science has been followed. As I targeting the economic consequences,
think it is so important to get this vac- mentioned, there is a lot of vaccine we will not only help the men and
cine moving, and these trials are really hesitancy right now. It existed before women working tirelessly in labs
important to having that be successful. this pandemic. Unfortunately, it has around the country to fight this dis-
In my view, again, the vaccine is the been made worse by some elected offi- ease, but we will send a clear message
most effective way for us to defeat this cials trying to politicize this science- to the American people that we are
coronavirus. driven effort. with them in this fight.
Second, I enrolled because I want to That is why I am working on bipar- And as we continue this critical na-
encourage others to join these trials tisan legislation to support a national tional effort, let’s be sure we are doing
around the country. If you are inter- awareness campaign that would em- our part here in Congress to pass legis-
ested, go online. Look at the vaccine power HHS to cut through the politics lation that provides additional funding
trials and join one in your community. and promote the scientific advance- for treatments and therapies for the
And, third, I hope it will convince my ments we have made in order to in- coronavirus so that we can be sure we
fellow Ohioans and others that getting crease public confidence. have the resources necessary to treat
vaccinated makes sense. We don’t have a vaccine yet, and we the virus as people get it.
There is a concerning Gallup poll are still facing another round of shut- The time is now for us to put the par-
from last month that found that only downs, with little help to support those tisanship aside and figure out how we
half of Americans are comfortable get- who will be impacted by it. That is the can work together to give the Amer-
ting a COVID–19 vaccine, and 50 per- reason we need to do more here in ican people a little hope, to address the
cent of us are not comfortable at this Washington right now to ensure that healthcare crisis that is in all of our
point getting vaccinated. Actually, the healthcare response to this pan- States, and to ensure that the eco-
that is down from August, when two- demic does not falter, because this cri- nomic consequences are not dev-
thirds of Americans said they would be sis is getting worse, not better. In my astating for the people we represent.
willing to be vaccinated. This concerns home State of Ohio and around the I urge my colleagues to come to-
me a lot. country, we are seeing this, and we can gether and to do that before we recess
I suspect in part this is happening be- make a difference here. for the holidays.
cause of the rhetoric we have heard I yield back my time.
In Ohio, the number of daily cases The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
from some public officials casting has risen every day for the past month. ator from Ohio.
doubt on a vaccine solely because it We are seeing double what we saw just
may be approved by the Trump admin- f
a few weeks ago.
istration’s FDA. We need to stop play- In the United States, we are now INTERNET OF THINGS CYBERSECU-
ing politics with people’s health and let averaging more than 100,000 new cases RITY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2020
the science and the data determine per day, double the rate from just a Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I
which vaccines get approved. The FDA month ago. As was predicted, it got ask unanimous consent that the Sen-
is being very cautious, and they are colder, people are inside more, and the ate proceed to the immediate consider-
being driven by science. Casting doubt third wave has arrived. ation of H.R. 1668, which was received
on the efficacy of a vaccine to try to Unfortunately, we have also seen an from the House and is at the desk.
score political points is dangerous and increase in Ohio in hospitalizations, in The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
needs to stop. ICU patients, and, sadly, in fatalities clerk will report the bill by title.
Public confidence in vaccines is de- along with these new cases. The legislative clerk read as follows:
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
clining at exactly the time that we We need to do more to help the econ- A bill (H.R. 1668) to establish minimum se-
need these vaccines the most, and we omy, too, and that is another reason curity standards for Internet of Things de-
need to do what we can to reverse that we need a COVID–19 package—a stim- vices owned or controlled by the Federal
trend. My hope is that being involved ulus package—because as the pandemic Government, and for other purposes.
firsthand I can use my platform as a has worsened, the impressive economic The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
Senator to help give people confidence growth we were seeing has slowed down objection to proceeding?
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