North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act
Floor Speech
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1161, I call up the bill (H.R. 925) to extend the authorization of appropriations for allocation to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act through fiscal year 2024, with the Senate amendments thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk. =========================== NOTE ===========================
October 1, 2020, on page H5211, the following appeared: ``SEC. 13. VALUE OF LAND. ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any institution eligible to receive Federal funds under the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.) shall be allowed to use the value of any land owned by the institution as an in-kind match to satisfy any cost sharing requirement under this Act.''. MOTION TO CONCUR Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
The online version has been corrected to read: ``SEC. 13. VALUE OF LAND. ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any institution eligible to receive Federal funds under the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.) shall be allowed to use the value of any land owned by the institution as an in-kind match to satisfy any cost sharing requirement under this Act.''. Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to improve protections for wildlife, and for other purposes.''. MOTION TO CONCUR Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk. ========================= END NOTE =========================
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Mrs. LOWEY. 925.
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Mrs. LOWEY.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this updated version of the Heroes Act.
The health and economic catastrophe facing our country continues to cry out for urgent action. In May, a bipartisan majority in the House passed the Heroes Act to provide critical support for our country to crush the coronavirus so that we can protect lives and reopen our economy.
Unfortunately, that legislation has lingered for more than 4 months as President Trump continues to downplay the severity of this pandemic.
This updated version of the Heroes Act seeks to meet Republicans halfway while addressing needs that have grown since May. As Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Mnuchin continue their negotiations, the House's consideration of this legislation formalizes this body's proffer in these negotiations.
To that end, we have updated the earlier versions of the Heroes Act by including strengthened support for small businesses, additional assistance for airline industry workers, and more funds for the children, for schools, for postsecondary education, and for childcare.
Near and dear to my heart, we have also added a substantial investment in global public health that will save lives at home and abroad.
Moreover, House Democrats have maintained many of the earlier priorities of the Heroes Act. That includes: $436 billion for State, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to pay vital frontline workers; $75 billion for coronavirus testing, contact tracing, and isolation measures; and $28 billion for procurement, distribution, and education campaigns for a safe and effective vaccine; additional direct payments to families; strong, enforceable workplace safety standards; changes to preserve healthcare for unemployed Americans; an extension of unemployment benefits; housing assistance so renters and homeowners can stay in their homes; food assistance so struggling families can put food on the table; and protections for our democracy, with funding for safe elections, an accurate Census, and the Postal Service.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation represents a compromise that delivers for American families. Negotiations are continuing, and I ardently hope that we can soon return to this floor with a bipartisan agreement.
In the meantime, a strong vote tonight will show our will to act and bring us closer to delivering much-needed relief to American families.
I urge support for this critical legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I would address my friend from New York. Thank you for expressing the real needs of New York, and I do hope you will vote for this bill.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Wasserman Schultz), the chairwoman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, after four, long painful months, Senate Republicans continue to block the House-passed Heroes Act to provide coronavirus relief to the fed-up American people. Since May, thousands more businesses have folded, millions remain jobless, and U.S. deaths doubled to 200,000.
Democrats have been negotiating in good faith. We were at $3 trillion for our original Heroes Act. We have asked the Republicans who were at $1 trillion to meet us halfway, and here we are, with them still stuck in the mud, refusing to do what the American people need us to do, to help make sure they can recover from this deadly viral pandemic.
Sadly, Republicans think we are being too generous with the American people, so many of whom are struggling to stay healthy amid a global pandemic and pay their bills since the worst recession since the Great Depression. My Governor just let a moratorium on evictions expire. He just reopened the State to 100 percent capacity, as if the virus is not still rampaging through our State.
Democrats offered this updated Heroes Act to defeat this virus and put money in the pockets of stressed Americans. It is way past time for Republicans to meet us halfway.
This bill improves the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses and non-profits and provides billions to local governments and schools.
This bill funds testing and tracing, provides $1,200 in direct payments to Americans, extends $600--not $400--of Federal unemployment payments, and extends the vital Payroll Support Program for airline workers, thousands of whom were laid off starting today.
It also funds daycare, spreads Affordable Care Act coverage, and bolsters housing and food assistance, while protecting our elections by strengthening the Census and the Postal Service.
It does not go as far as Democrats would like--that is because we are here to compromise, because we know the American people need us to do that--but it goes a long way to offer what Americans desperately need right now. Republicans need to stop standing in the way of relief and come to the table so that we can send home a package that is going to take care of the American people in this dire time.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Lee), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier).
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the chair of the Committee on Financial Services.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, the American people cannot wait. Help is on the way, and the only thing I can ask from my Republican friends is to take a walk in neighborhoods in their districts around the Nation where mothers and fathers are waiting on a disbursement needed to put food on their table.
This $2.2 trillion bill is going to help businesses, nonprofits, and faith institutions with the PPP. It is going to give us protective equipment. Yes, the engine of our communities, small independent restaurants, are getting close to $120 billion; more funds to bolster education and childcare; schools that cannot open because they do not have the resources; money for testing--I have opened 33 testing sites in our neighborhoods; contact tracing, of course; making sure the cities' and counties' essential workers and hazard pay is paid.
Is anyone asking the American people if they are suffering and need this resource to help them? To fight COVID-19, we have to stop the evictions; stop the foreclosures; give healthcare, clothes, food, and security; make sure we take care of small businesses, education; and give our people a lifeline.
The American people can't wait. Now is the time to help them. Vote on the Heroes Act for this money and this relief.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1 minute to the gentlemen from Illinois (Mr. Garcia).
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.
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Mrs. LOWEY. DeLauro), the chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and a hardworking, distinguished leader on all these issues.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, a member of my class in the Congress.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary and on Homeland Security, I rise in strong support of Senate amendments to H.R. 925--America's Conservation Enhancement Act (an update of The Heroes Act), a much needed installment of the necessary assistance and relief provided by Congress to address the adverse health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To date, there are more than 7,213,419 confirmed cases, over 206,402 dead, including 748,967 cases and 15,711 deaths in my home state of Texas.
I want to thank our frontline healthcare workers and essential workers for their sacrifice and commitment during this crisis.
I have worked along side medical professionals and public health experts in my city of Houston to open 33 remote testing sites.
This update of the HEROES Act provides an additional $2.2 trillion for protects lives, livelihoods and the life of our democracy.
This update to the HEROES Act is needed in order to have the economic vitality to reopen that allows a science-based path to safely reopen our country and helping ensure that every American can access free coronavirus treatment.
In support this legislation also because it provides strong support for our heroes fighting the pandemic on the front lines with nearly $1 trillion for state, local, territorial and tribal governments who desperately need funds to pay the health care workers, police, fire, transportation, and EMS personnel, along with teachers and other vital workers who keep us safe and are in danger of losing their jobs.
The Heroes Act update provides for: small businesses, by improving the Paycheck Protection Program to serve the smallest businesses and struggling nonprofits, hard-hit businesses with second loans, and targeted assistance for the struggling restaurant industry and independent live venue operators.
The bill also provides additional assistance for airline industry workers, extending the highly successful Payroll Support Program to keep airline industry workers paid.
There are more funds to bolster education and childcare, with $225 billion for education--including $182 billion for K-12 schools and nearly $39 billion for postsecondary education--and $57 billion to support child care for families.
Another reason to support this bill is that it puts money in the pockets of workers with a second round of direct payments to families of $1,200 for adults and $500 for each child, new payroll protection measures to keep 60 million workers connected with their jobs, and restores the weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through January 2021.
On top of that, by taking the necessary measures to slow the pandemic and `flatten the curve' so as not to overwhelm the nation's health care system, economic activity in the United States has experienced a severe shock to the system.
There have been more than 36 million initial unemployment claims in the past month alone.
In addition, on March 23, 2020, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dipped to 18,321.62, which is even lower than it was on Election Night 2016, and far below the 19,827 mark where it stood on January 20, 2017.
In other words, Mr. Speaker, all the gains that were made to the stock market and heralded by this Administration as evidence of its genius have been wiped out, depleting the retirement savings and 401(k) fund of millions of ordinary Americans.
The situation is so dire that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, appointed by the current President, stressed the importance of Congress providing further fiscal relief, stating this week:
``While the economic response has been both timely and appropriately large, it may not be the final chapter, given that the path ahead is both highly uncertain and subject to significant downside risks. Additional fiscal support could be costly, but worth it if it helps avoid long-term economic damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery.''
The U.S. economy lost over 20 million jobs in April with the unemployment rate spiking to 14.7 percent, the worst since the Great Depression, but actual job losses were near 20 percent according to some estimates.
And in addition to the highly inequitable gender and racial impacts, this economic downturn reveals a strong class dimension to the unemployment wave, with 18.1 million of the 19.5 million jobs lost in the private sector last month classified as production and nonsupervisory workers as opposed to managers.
So, we have simultaneously a public health emergency and an economic calamity, both of which are addressed in the legislation before us.
But before we can get back on our feet economically and restore the booming economy inherited by the current Administration, Americans must be assured and confident that there is a plan and strategy to combat COVID-19; and the resources and commitment needed to implement the plan and execute the strategy.
And that means testing, testing, and more testing, along with contact tracing.
Mr. Speaker, the occasion demands that we rise, and I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 925--America's Conservation Enhancement Act (an update of The Heroes Act).
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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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