Providing COVID-19 Relief (Cong. Rec., Dec. 17, 2020)
Summary
Page H7239 of the House section of the Congressional Record for December 17, 2020, made up of five-minute speeches in interleaved columns, headed Providing COVID-19 Relief. Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois warns that Democrats could steal a House seat again, recalling the 1985 contest over the Bloody Eighth, which is his view. Mr. John W. Rose of Tennessee speaks in support of community pharmacies. Ms. Waters describes the pandemic's toll, citing over 16 million cases, over 300,000 deaths and over 20 million people collecting unemployment, and says Congress must work with the incoming administration on more help.
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“Providing COVID-19 Relief (Cong. Rec., Dec. 17, 2020).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-12-17-crec-2020-12-17-pt1-pgh7239-2-6d0e6956db/
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December 17, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H7239
He will be greatly missed. I am sure Cases are surging, and thousands are b 1315
I will never find another mechanic who dying from the virus every day. There DEMOCRATS COULD STEAL A
can keep my cars running for 50 years. have been over 16 million United States HOUSE SEAT AGAIN
f cases, and over 300,000 people have lost
their lives in the United States. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The
DEFENDING COMMUNITY Chair recognizes the gentleman from
PHARMACIES Over 20 million people across the
Illinois (Mr. RODNEY DAVIS) for 5 min-
country are collecting unemployment
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The utes.
and struggling to make ends meet. In
Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr.
California, more than 1.3 million peo-
Tennessee (Mr. JOHN W. ROSE) for 5 Speaker, I want to remind my col-
ple have become unemployed over the
minutes. leagues that, in 1985, the Democrats in
past year.
Mr. JOHN W. ROSE of Tennessee. Mr. this House stole a seat, and they can do
Speaker, I rise today in support of Hunger is growing across the Nation. it again.
community pharmacies not only in my One in five renters is behind on paying The day after the election in 1984, Re-
district, the Sixth District of Ten- their rent, meaning that millions are publican Rick McIntyre was ahead of
nessee, but across the country. on the brink of eviction as months of incumbent Frank McCloskey by 34
Late last week, I received this letter, back rent are coming due. votes. After the State’s recount,
notifying me that my community phar- The Federal Reserve estimates that McIntyre’s lead grew to 418 votes. In
macy would no longer be in-network renters in California will owe $1.7 bil- the weeks following the election, McIn-
and that if I had any future prescrip- lion in unpaid rent by the end of the tyre was certified the winner of Indi-
tions filled at this pharmacy, I would year, representing almost a quarter of ana’s Eighth Congressional District.
have to pay personally in full. This the total rental debt that will have ac- But come January 1985, House Demo-
change would take place almost imme- crued nationwide during the pandemic. crats refused to seat the duly-elected
diately. Small businesses are struggling. As Member of Congress, Rick McIntyre.
Like most Americans, I have a years- many as one-third of small businesses, Instead, they sent a partisan task force
long relationship with my community including more than 40 percent of to Indiana which then determined bal-
pharmacy, Gordonsville Drugs, and my Black-owned and Latinx-owned small lots not valid under Indiana law should
community pharmacist, Amy Dudney. businesses, say they will be forced to have been counted. They changed the
But I was not part of a select few in- close their doors for good without im- rules. Under the Democrats’ new rules,
dividuals to receive this notification; mediate relief from Congress. McCloskey was now ahead by four
there have been approximately 60 inde- votes.
Families across the country des-
pendent pharmacies throughout Ten- On May 1, 1985, the House voted to
perately need relief.
nessee that recently found themselves seat McCloskey. Ten Democrats joined
out-of-network for certain plans ad- So, it is absolutely essential that
Congress finally come to a bipartisan every Republican in voting against
ministered by the pharmacy benefit seating him. This contest was dubbed
manager, CVS Caremark. agreement for a relief bill. As Demo-
crats are nearing a compromise with the ‘‘Bloody Eighth,’’ and my Demo-
This is not happening just in Gor-
our Republican colleagues, we must en- crat colleagues are considering repeat-
donsville, Tennessee. Many Americans
sure that the legislation helps all of ing this same battle this year in Iowa’s
have a community pharmacy like Gor-
those who are struggling during this Second District.
donsville Drugs and a pharmacist like
pandemic. Just as in 1985, they are about to
Amy Dudney in their community.
Thankfully, due to sustained lob- change the rules of the game after the
It is especially important that the re-
bying efforts by the independent phar- game has already been played. Demo-
lief bill contains another round of di-
macy community, CVS Caremark has crats have been trying to do this in
rect stimulus payments for individuals
reached out to many of these phar- States throughout the 2020 cycle.
and families to help them make ends
macies and offered them contracts to After a thorough recount of votes in
meet. We must also provide additional
remain in-network. all 24 counties in Iowa’s Second Dis-
unemployment assistance to those who
However, letters like the one I re- trict, Mr. Speaker, and a unanimous bi-
have lost their jobs as a result of the
ceived remain extremely damaging to partisan vote by Iowa’s State Can-
crisis.
our independent pharmacies. In the vassing Board, Congresswoman-elect
As chairwoman of the House Finan- Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was de-
specific case of Gordonsville Drugs, al- cial Services Committee, I am working
though CVS Caremark made the right clared the winner.
hard to secure the inclusion of much- Instead of challenging the certifi-
choice to keep the independent phar- needed emergency rental assistance in
macy in-network, they have yet to cation that Dr. Miller-Meeks now has
the bill and the extension of the evic- in her possession in court, the Demo-
send a letter with this updated change tion moratorium, as well as funding for
to customers like me. CVS Caremark crat candidate has decided to skip that
community development financial in- step and, instead, is going to ask Wash-
must commit to sending new letters, stitutions and minority depository in-
notifying customers that they can con- ington Democrats to overturn Iowa’s
stitutions that support access to credit voters. And the reason is because she
tinue to use their neighborhood inde- and investment in communities of
pendent pharmacy with whom they couldn’t win in court.
color, which have been hit hard by this But if Washington Democrats change
have long-term relationships. crisis.
We continue to let our community the rules, she can. She can disregard
As this pandemic continues to rage, the people of Iowa.
pharmacies be bullied by pharmacy
it would be completely irresponsible Setting this precedent that you don’t
benefit managers like CVS Caremark,
and foolish to take away the Federal have to exhaust all of your options and
but we can’t let this continue. With
Reserve’s and the Treasury’s crisis prove your case in court, but that
winter upon us and the pandemic surg-
management tools that can help ad- whatever party is in charge of the
ing, there has never been a greater
dress threats to jobs, small businesses, House can come in, change the rules,
need to ensure the viability of our com-
municipal government, and the econ- and determine the winner is a terrible
munity pharmacies.
omy. precedent to set.
f
Let me be clear that the compromise I am hoping that my colleagues on
PROVIDING COVID–19 RELIEF bill that is now being worked on, while the other side of the aisle will think
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The important, will not be enough by itself. long and hard if they want a repeat of
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Families across the country will need the Bloody Eighth, because there will
California (Ms. WATERS) for 5 minutes. more help. Congress must work with come a time when the shoe is on the
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, the the incoming Biden administration to other foot.
COVID–19 pandemic crisis continues to take additional action to support those The Federal contest of 1985 eroded
have a terrible impact throughout the who are struggling every day and put public trust in our elections and under-
Nation. the country on a path to recovery. mined the integrity of our election
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