E574 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 25, 2021 no general fund taxpayer dollars would be shire Pilots Association; New Jersey Avia- physical determinants of health that cause used to support this national center. tion Association. trauma and behavioral health problems, as Our aviation and aerospace industry sup- New Mexico Airport Manager’s Associa- tion; New York Aviation Management Asso- well as deploy more effective upstream pre- ports over 11 million jobs and contributes ciation; North American Trainer Associa- vention strategies. more than $1.6 trillion per year to the national tion; Ohio Regional Business Aviation Asso- It’s past time for Congress to take meaning- economy. More than 130 organizations includ- ciation; Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission; ful action, targeting provider shortages, reim- ing schools, airports, airlines, manufacturers, Oklahoma Airport Operators Association; bursement parity, housing support, treatment, unions, and other entities involved in aviation Oklahoma Pilots Association; Oregon Pilots and increased Federal funding to push the and aerospace have expressed strong support Association; Organization of Black Aero- bounds of Federal research. for this legislation. The list of organizations space Professionals; Palo Alto Airport Asso- Full recovery from the pandemic will be con- ciation; Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum; supporting this legislation are as follows: Petaluma Area Pilots Association; Piedmont tingent upon addressing the behavioral health AAR Corp; ACI Jet; Aeronautical Repair Airlines; Piper Flyer Association; Plane and conditions of our population, because mental Station Association; Aerospace Center of Ex- Pilot News; Professional Aviation Mainte- health is public health. cellence; Aerospace Maintenance Council; nance Association; PSA Airlines; Pure White f Air Care Alliance; Air Line Pilots Associa- Smoke Oil, Inc.; Recreational Aviation tion, International; Air Medical Operators Foundation; Red Star Pilots Association; Re- HONORING BLACK DOCTORS Association; Air Wisconsin Airlines; Airbus; gional Airline Association; Republic Air- COVID–19 CONSORTIUM Aircraft Electronics Association; Aircraft ways; Rhode Island Pilots Association. Mechanics Fraternal Association; Aircraft San Carlos Pilots Association; San Diego Owners and Pilots Association; Airlines for Christian College; Seaplane Pilots Associa- HON. DWIGHT EVANS America; Alabama General Aviation Alli- tion; South Carolina Aviation Association; OF PENNSYLVANIA ance; Alaska Airlines; Alaska Airmen Asso- South Dakota Pilots Association; Southwest IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ciation; Alaskan Aviation Safety Founda- Airlines; Southwest Airlines Pilots Associa- tion; Alliance for Aviation Across America; tion; Start Skydiving, Inc.; Sturdivant Tuesday, May 25, 2021 Allied Pilots Association. Brothers Flying Service; T–34 Mentor Asso- Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to American Airlines; American Bonanza So- ciation; The Boeing Company; The Museum honor The Black Doctors COVID–19 Consor- ciety; American Yankee Association; Ari- of Flight, Seattle, Washington; Trans States tium who leveraged their medical expertise zona Airports Association; Arizona Flight Airlines; U.S. Contract Tower Association; and connections to facilitate testing and pro- Training Working group; Arizona Pilots As- U.S. Parachute Association; United Airlines; sociation; Arizona Safety Advisory Group; UPS; Veterans Airlift Command; Virginia vide vaccines where measures are most need- Arkansas General Aviation Association; As- Aviation Business Association; Washington ed in the Philadelphia region. They stepped up sociation for Unmanned Vehicle Systems Pilots Association; Washington Seaplane Pi- to level the playing field by testing and vacci- International; Association of California Air- lots Association; Women in Aviation Inter- nating thousands of people in at-risk commu- ports; Atlas Air Worldwide; Aviation Council national; Zerowait, Inc. nities. of Pennsylvania; Aviation Technician Edu- Madam Speaker, this legislation will address Surgeon Ala Stanford along with a dedi- cation Council; California Pilots Associa- cated team of volunteers have sought to elimi- tion; Cape Air; Cargo Airline Association; the demands and challenges our aviation and Cessna Flyer Association; Choose Aerospace, aerospace industry face today and tomorrow. nate health disparities during the Covid–19 Inc.; Citation Jet Pilots, Inc.; Coalition of I strongly encourage my colleagues to join us pandemic. The Black Doctors COVID–19 Con- Airline Pilots Associations. in cosponsoring the National Center for the sortium was founded by Dr. Stanford in the Colorado Aviation Business Association; Advancement of Aviation Act of 2021. spring of 2020, to address the lack of Covid– Commemorative Air Force; Community and f 19 testing in low-income and communities of Airport Partnership for Safe Operations; color in Philadelphia, who also happened to CommutAir; Compass Airlines; Delta Air CALLING ON THE NEED FOR COM- have the highest positivity rates. Their efforts Lines; Delta State University; EAA Type PREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH undoubtedly saved countless lives. Club Coalition; EAA Warbirds of America; LEGISLATION East Central Ohio Pilots Association; East Dr. Stanford left her role as a pediatric sur- Hampton Aviation Association; Empire Air- geon to dedicate her time to aggressively con- lines; Endeavor Air; Envoy Air; EVAC, the HON. MARCY KAPTUR front the growing health disparities in Black Emergency Volunteers Air Corps; Experi- OF OHIO communities during the pandemic. According mental Aircraft Association; ExpressJet Air- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES to the Centers for Disease Control—Black pa- lines; FAST; FedEx Express; Flight School Tuesday, May 25, 2021 tients represent 22 percent of Covid cases Association of North America. Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today and are 2.8 times more likely to be hospital- Flying Knights Flying Club; Flying Physi- ized and 1.9 times more likely to die due to cians Association; Friends of Linden Airport; to call my colleagues’ attention to the dire Fullerton Airport Pilots Association; Gen- need for Congress to continue building upon Covid–19 as compared to White Americans. eral Aviation Council of Hawaii; General recent investments in mental health care. These starks figures are what drove Dr. Stan- Aviation Manufacturers Association; Glasair The American Rescue Plan funding for the ford to create the formation of BDCC. She de- Aircraft Owners Association; GoJet Airlines; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services clared, ‘‘There was no testing in communities Hawaiian Airlines; Helicopter Association Administration is commendable but Congress where people were dying the most. So, we International; Horizon Air; International Air created it.’’ Her work has been invaluable to Transport Association; International Council must hone its focus to address this ongoing crisis by working to create and pass com- the city of Philadelphia, particularly for low-in- of Air Shows, Inc.; Iowa Aviation Associa- come and vulnerable residents. tion; Kentucky Aviation Association; Kim- prehensive mental health legislation. mel Aviation Insurance; Ladd Gardner Avia- I, alongside Members of the Congressional The consortium has tested more than tion Insurance, Inc.; Lancair Owners and Mental Health Caucus and the Bipartisan 25,000 people and vaccinated more than Builders Organization; Lewis University Air- Mental Health and Addiction Taskforce, are 50,000 Philadelphians at 50 clinics. It also of- port; LIFT Academy. working to pull together key pieces of legisla- fers home vaccinations for people who can’t Long Island Business Aviation Association; tion to establish a comprehensive Mental access clinics. These services have been pro- Los Alamos Airport; Louisiana Airport Man- Health Crisis Response Act. vided free to the public. They have recently agers and Associates; Maine Aeronautics As- partnered with Uber to provide 10,000 free sociation; Maine Aviation Business Associa- I ask my colleagues, both Democrats and tion; Massachusetts Airport Management Republicans, to please work with us and send rides aimed at helping people get to and from Association; Michigan Business Aviation As- bills our way to present to leadership and the BDCC sites. Their work has drawn praise from sociation; Minnesota Pilots Association; White House, as the fundamentals of our so- the Biden’s administration top health officials. Minnesota Seaplane Pilots Association; Mis- cial economy depend on the good health of ‘‘She is the perfect example of how a commu- sissippi Agricultural Association; Montana our citizenry and their ability to access quality nity member can stand up and lead during a Pilots Association; Mooney Summit, Inc.; and affordable behavioral health services. time of crisis,’’ Surgeon General Vivek Murthy National Agricultural Aviation Association; Throughout my 38 years in Congress, I said. National Air Traffic Controllers Association; have heard countless stories from constituents The Black Doctors COVID–19 Consortium National Air Transportation Association; National Association of State Aviation Offi- who face barriers when accessing essential held a ‘‘vaxathon’’ a 24-hour, walk-up vaccine cials; National Business Aviation Associa- mental health services. We must work to over- site, which saw a massive turnout. The group tion; National Coalition for Aviation and come these issues. vaccinated nearly 4,000 people, 75 percent of Space Education NetJets;