E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2020 No. 218 House of Representatives The House met at 9 a.m. and was COVID VACCINE 300,000—and the number getting high- called to order by the Speaker. (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was er—Americans who are dying from the f given permission to address the House coronavirus. We have hope because there is a vac- PRAYER for 1 minute.) Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, cine. We have hope because we have a The Chaplain, the Reverend Patrick I join in the prayer of the Chaplain this President who recognizes science and, J. Conroy, offered the following prayer: morning. I believe it is important to again, the need for us to distribute the Lord of all creation, thank You for open this day of lifesaving relief with a vaccine in the most equitable, fair, and giving us another day. prayer to ask that our Congress comes free way. By that President, I mean We come before You again, O Lord, to one who will take office 1 month from together and stands in the face with implore Your blessing upon a nation now, Joe Biden. help on the way to dying Americans seeing continually high rates of infec- I do want to speak to the bill that from COVID–19, the families of those tion with COVID–19. Our hospitals are will be on the floor shortly. It is a who have died and those who are on the near breaking point in the availability good, bipartisan bill. As different from front lines fighting against this virus. bills that had been proposed on the of beds for those who are stricken. It is important that we help our Thank You again for those men and Senate side by the Republican leader, schoolchildren with educational dollars women of science who have developed it does things that his bill never did, and, as well, make sure that the vac- the vaccines now beginning to be dis- and that is that it addresses the food cines are going as fast as they can to tributed. This is a great sign of hope in needs of the American people. Maybe 15 the sites across America. the midst of so much suffering and million children are food insecure in I spoke to hospitals in my district, our country, and adults as well. fear. Lord, have mercy. smaller hospitals and community hos- Bless the Members of this House, and Millions of families are on the verge pitals that are still waiting for their of the Senate, as the omnibus and the of eviction, and this legislation ad- vaccine. We know that they want their coronavirus relief bills are presented dresses the rental needs and the short- frontline medical professionals to keep and considered today. Give them wis- term moratorium. We can accept a saving and serving the public. dom and generosity; increase their short-term because we will have a new So this is going to be a historic and President during the length of that trust that Your people in this Nation important day. We know it is not what will use the assistance coming their moratorium to extend it further if nec- we want in complete, but we know we essary. way to fuel a struggling economy. will be working into the new year to be May all that is done be for Your We also have in the legislation direct able to respond to the needs of the greater honor and glory. payments, which were not in the Re- American people helping our local gov- Amen. publican bill, to America’s working ernments and, as well, making sure families. I would like them to have f that those children who will be return- been bigger, but they are significant, THE JOURNAL ing to school and those teachers, as and they will be going out soon. The SPEAKER. Pursuant to section well, will be protected after they have The President may insist on having 4(a) of House Resolution 967, the Jour- the opportunity—the teachers, in par- his name on the check, but make no nal of the last day’s proceedings is ap- ticular—to have the vaccine. This is a mistake, those checks are from the proved. historic day. Let us work together. American people. The American peo- ple’s name should be on that check, no f f individual, because that is the source PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE RELIEF FOR THE AMERICAN of the resources for those checks—tax- PEOPLE The SPEAKER. Will the gentle- paying Americans. woman from Texas (Ms. JACKSON LEE) (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given In addition to that, the list goes on come forward and lead the House in the permission to address the House for 1 of some of the very positive things that Pledge of Allegiance. minute.) are on the bill—quite frankly, some of Ms. JACKSON LEE led the Pledge of Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I asso- them did not come to agreement until Allegiance as follows: ciate myself with your comments and yesterday—whether we are talking I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the those of our Chaplain, Father Conroy, about WRDA, the Water Resources De- United States of America, and to the Repub- that it is appropriate to start today velopment Act; a big jobs bill had bi- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, with a prayer, and every day, but espe- partisan support but some disagree- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. cially a day when we are seeing over ment over language, but by the time b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H7287 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Dec 26, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21DE7.000 H21DEPT1 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with HOUSE H7288 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE December 21, 2020 that was resolved, it pushed the bill In this legislation, we have a provi- lives. Many more, of course, have lost from coming to the floor later. sion for it to be developed, purchased, their jobs. We didn’t have, at the start of the and distributed in a way, again, that is Madam Speaker, we have approach- day, sick leave. That is in the bill, al- fair, equitable, and free. ing $1 trillion for the PPP; small busi- most $2 billion for sick leave. What we couldn’t get ever—even with ness, which I support all the way; and It didn’t have the EITC, the earned the previous legislation just on top, $150 billion or $160 billion for State and income tax credit, for working poor testing, et cetera—was the adequate local government, which enables the people to have that boost, as well as language to recognize that this private sector to function, which en- the child tax credit. It did not have the coronavirus has taken a horrible toll ables us to crush the virus, which en- employment retention tax credit—bi- on our whole country, more so among ables us to meet the needs of people. partisan support on WRDA and on that. people of color. People of color have Madam Speaker, $150 billion to $160 Then we came to agreement not only died from the coronavirus. billion versus well over $800 billion al- on the language, but where that initia- A child who was Hispanic had eight ready. How could that be right? Except tive would be placed in that. So many times more of a chance of going to the the Republicans insist on saying: We of these things need to be precisely hospital with the coronavirus than a don’t want to give money to blue written and assembled in order for a White child. If you are African Amer- States where the coronavirus is. bill to come to the floor, which we an- ican, there is five times more of a It is in red States, too. It knows no ticipate will be pretty soon this morn- chance of going to the hospital because borders and it knows no party, this vi- ing. of the coronavirus. So now we have a cious virus. But somehow, other Re- One of the things, though, that is dis- vaccine we hope will reach everyone as publicans have said to our heroes, our appointing because, for a long time soon as possible. healthcare workers, our teachers, our now, House Democrats and the Senate One item that I am heartbroken transportation, our police and fire, and have been saying we want to crush the about in this bill, though, is that, the rest—sanitation workers, so impor- virus and put money in the pockets of while we make an attempt to crush the tant; food, food, food—you are not wor- the American people. The title of our virus, we don’t do it adequately enough thy of support because perhaps you are bill before was about honoring our he- in terms of recognizing the toll on peo- in a blue State, predominantly, and, roes, our State and local workers who ple of color; but we will have to do that therefore, we undervalue your con- are on the front line.