Covid-19 American History Project Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4738) to direct the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to establish a history project to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials, written materials, and photographs of those who were affected by COVID-19, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4738
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 American History Project Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
(1) COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory illness caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. This disease has caused a worldwide pandemic affecting millions of people and has fundamentally altered the operations of the world's cities, businesses, and schools.
(2) The outbreak of COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China, and on January 21, 2020, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in the United States.
(3) The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, and the President of the United States issued a national emergency declaration concerning the pandemic on March 13, 2020.
(4) To date, 194 million individuals have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, 35 million are Americans; that is, more than one of every 10 Americans. Almost 4.2 million people have died from COVID-19 globally, and over 610,000 deaths have occurred in the United States.
(5) The first American received the COVID-19 vaccine on December 14, 2020. Since then, 163 million Americans have been vaccinated and 188.5 million have received at least one dose. The vaccine became available to every American adult 18 and older on April 19, 2021.
(6) While there are still remaining cases, and healthcare professionals and researchers are tirelessly working to eradicate the disease, it is important we begin work to fully capture the firsthand personal stories of those impacted by COVID-19, a major national event in the history of this country.
(7) Oral histories are of immeasurable value to historians, researchers, authors, journalists, film makers, scholars, students, and citizens of all walks of life. Survivors of the pandemic, survivors of loved ones who lost their lives to COVID-19, and frontline healthcare workers should be remembered and can provide valuable firsthand knowledge on how this pandemic impacted their everyday lives.
(8) It is in the Nation's best interest to collect and catalog oral histories of Americans who were affected by the pandemic so that future generations will have original sources of information regarding the lives and times of those who lived through or died from the COVID-19 pandemic and conditions under which they endured. These accounts will allow an opportunity for Americans to remember those who lost their lives and may learn firsthand of the heroics, loneliness, horrors, and triumphs of the healthcare workers who combated this pandemic.
(9) The Library of Congress, as the Nation's oldest Federal cultural institution and largest and most inclusive library in human history, is an appropriate repository to collect, preserve, and make available to the public an archive of these oral histories. The Library's American Folklife Center has expertise in the management of documentation projects and experience in the development of cultural and educational projects for the public.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to create a new federally sponsored, authorized, and funded project that will coordinate at a national level the collection of video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials, written materials, and photographs of Americans who contracted COVID-19, individuals who lost family members and friends to COVID-19, and healthcare workers who fought to treat the illness. These stories will inform, assist, and encourage local efforts to preserve the stories of this pandemic and the ones who lost their battle to the pandemic. SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROJECT AT AMERICAN FOLKLIFE CENTER TO COLLECT VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDINGS, WRITTEN MATERIALS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY COVID-19.
(a) In General.--The Director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress shall establish a history project to be known as the ``COVID-19 American History Project'' (hereafter referred to as the ``Project'') to--
(1) collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of individuals who contracted COVID-19, individuals who lost family members to COVID-19, and frontline healthcare workers who fought to treat the illness;
(2) create a collection of the recordings obtained (including a catalog and index) which will be available for public use through the National Digital Library of the Library of Congress and such other methods as the Director considers appropriate, to the extent feasible and subject to available resources; and
(3) solicit, reproduce, and collect written materials (such as letters and diaries) and photographs relevant to the personal histories of individuals who contracted COVID-19, individuals who lost family members and friends to COVID-19, and frontline healthcare workers who fought to treat the illness, and catalog such materials in a manner the Director considers appropriate, consistent with and complimentary to the efforts described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
(b) Use of and Consultation With Other Entities.--The Director may carry out the activities described in paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (a) through agreements and partnerships entered into with other government and private entities, and may otherwise consult with interested persons (within the limits of available resources) and develop appropriate guidelines and arrangements for soliciting, acquiring, and making available recordings, written materials, and photographs under the Project. The recordings, written materials, and photographs shall be available on the Library of Congress website and may be used to educate the public on the impacts COVID-19 has on everyday Americans.
(c) Timing.--As soon as practicable after the enactment of this Act, the Director shall begin collecting video and audio recordings under subsection (a)(1). SEC. 4. PRIVATE SUPPORT.
(a) Acceptance of Donations.--The Librarian of Congress may solicit and accept donations of funds and in-kind contributions to carry out the Project, subject to subsection (c).
(b) Establishment of Separate Gift Account.--There is established in the Treasury (among the accounts of the Library of Congress) a gift account for the Project.
(c) Dedication of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law--
(1) any funds donated to the Librarian of Congress to carry out the Project shall be deposited entirely into the gift account established under subsection (b);
(2) the funds contained in such account shall be available only to the extent and in the amounts provided in advance in appropriations Acts;
(3) the funds contained in such account shall be used solely to carry out the Project; and
(4) the Librarian of Congress may not deposit into such account any funds donated to the Librarian which are not donated for the exclusive purpose of carrying out the Project. SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act--
(1) $250,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year, except that no funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act for any fiscal year which begins after the expiration of the 3-year period beginning on the date of the termination of the declaration of the public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act on January 31, 2020, entitled ``Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus''. SEC. 6. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4738 establishes a COVID-19 history program within the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center.
March 11 of this year marked the second anniversary of the World Health Organization's official designation of COVID-19 as a pandemic. Since then, more than 6 million people worldwide have succumbed to the disease, almost a million in the United States alone, and hundreds of millions more have suffered from its debilitating effects.
Experts agree that current statistics are likely undercounting the disease's actual toll. Indeed, the true scale of social and economic devastation caused by the virus may never be known.
Although the virus continues to disrupt daily life in ways both seen and unseen, through American ingenuity and sheer force of will, several effective vaccines were developed in record time. These vaccines continue to be an important tool as the fight to eradicate the coronavirus goes on.
As the country and world enter this next phase of the pandemic, it is important that we preserve the stories of those who lived through it. COVID-19 is not the first pandemic, and it will not be the last. Humanity has endured Black Death, cholera, influenza, HIV, AIDS, and the list goes on. As devastating as these diseases can be, there are lessons to be found in each: lessons of love and loss, of peace and strife, of failure and triumph.
Tragically, few know this firsthand better than my colleague, the gentlewoman from Louisiana and sponsor of this bill, who lost her husband, Luke, to the disease.
We applaud her for bravely answering the call of public service at such a difficult time, and we hope she and her family continue to heal and his memory serves as an inspiration to them in all that they do.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4738, the COVID-19 American History Project Act. I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Julia Letlow of Louisiana, for championing this important legislation.
When the COVID-19 pandemic reached our shores, our lives were all impacted. Some of these changes were temporary, and some of them were permanent.
Congresswoman Letlow continues to live every day with the impact this pandemic has had on her family, and I am inspired by her courage and willingness to share her story. Unfortunately, her story is not entirely unique, and many families across this Nation have been forced to say good-bye to a loved one far too soon.
Their lives and memories deserve to be recorded, collected, and preserved so that this unprecedented pandemic is accurately understood by historians, students, and Americans from all walks of life.
Over the last 2 years, we have all felt fear of the unknown. In a lot of ways, when the pandemic hit, our Nation was caught off guard. This project will help ensure future generations can learn from the trials we have overcome and the triumphs we have been able to achieve.
The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is the largest and most extensive library in human history, and I can think of no better place to house the personal histories, testimonies, written materials, and photographs of Americans whose lives were lost, those who bravely stood on the front lines, and also all those who demonstrated the American spirit through innovation, resilience, and compassion.
As Congresswoman Letlow has expressed, this project is about providing healing and hope for the future.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Letlow), the sponsor of this piece of legislation and my good friend.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have been in this institution now and had the privilege to serve here for over 9\1/2\ years. And that was, by far, one of the most inspiring personal stories that I have had a chance to witness.
I can tell you, based upon what I learned about Luke Letlow from my colleagues like Garret Graves and Steve Scalise and Clay Higgins and others, was that Luke Letlow was so excited to be a part of what we sometimes take for granted here in the House.
I was a former staff member just like Mr. Letlow was, but his runoff election was right at the time between orientation, where I would have had a chance to meet him, and a chance for him to be sworn in. And that is when the tragedy that Congresswoman Letlow talked about her family facing took place.
Luke Letlow didn't get a chance to raise his right hand and be a part of this House, but his legacy will live on forever as part of this oral history project.
I cannot think of a better way for a mother to be able to give her children, in honor of their dad and her husband, the legacy that he deserves than by passing this bill tonight.
Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone in this institution to vote ``yes'' to preserve the legacy of not only Luke Letlow but of those whose families have been impacted the exact same way as the Letlow family by this pandemic.
Let's move beyond this pandemic but let us never forget. Let us remember our heroes, and let us remember those families, and let us remember how great our country is to be able to move beyond.
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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman for bringing forward this very poignant and important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues as well to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4738, the ``COVID-19 American History Project Act.''
This bill directs the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to establish the COVID-19 American History Project which will collect and make publicly available individual stories and records of experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
The bill includes a requirement to collect video and audio histories and testimonials of those who were affected by the pandemic.
Mr. Speaker, the United States will soon reach a grave milestone. As of 9 o'clock this morning, there have been 974,277 American deaths from COVID-19. In the coming weeks, we will reach 1,000,000 deaths.
However, I believe that only focusing on that horrific number, though nonetheless important, makes us forget about who we lost.
Therefore, with this time I would like to tell the stories of my fellow Houstonians who sadly passed because of this unprecedented public health crisis.
The stories I will be recounting are all courtesy of Houston Public Media, of whose journalists I have been a strong supporter.
Knowing that his daughter would be unable to walk at her college graduation commencement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Carlos Araujo-Preza threw his daughter, Andrea Araujo, a belated graduation celebration with her close friends and family in late October. She said he really put in the effort to give her the best ceremony he could.
Dr. Araujo-Preza always went out of his way to make sure his daughter and her brother were taken care of, despite a busy work schedule at Tomball Regional Hospital. The siblings and their father spent their weekends together binge-watching movies and TV shows together.
But in 2020, Andrea Araujo was forced to spend her 23rd birthday without her father.
Araujo-Preza was two weeks away from receiving his first round of the COVID-19 vaccine before he passed away. He died Nov 30, 2020, at the age of 51.
He knew at a young age he was meant to pursue a career in the medical field. Coming from a family of doctors himself, Araujo-Preza was viewed as a loving caregiver and someone his patients could always rely on.
Araujo-Preza was the leading doctor at his hospital who specialized in plasma research, while also distributing COVID-19 vaccines to nurses.
``His colleagues were fans of him,'' she said. ``They loved when he came into work.''
He would go out of his way to give his personal phone number to patients and would accommodate their needs at any time of day. Araujo said her father would wake up as early as 3 a.m. to go into work. Araujo-Preza would sleep in the hospital for days and sometimes weeks at a time to always be on call for his patients.
Now, Araujo said she tries to live by a saying her father used to share in Spanish: ``The sun always rises the next day.'' Araujo-Preza would tell his children to not let daily challenges in life hold them back. Because, he said, as life goes on, you should too.
``I feel like people always say, `with time, things get better', but I've noticed it's quite the opposite,'' she said. ``Every day gets harder.''
That story was courtesy of Emily Jaroszewski at Houston Public Media.
The next story is one that is especially close to my heart: Dick Cigler from the University of Houston.
Those who were mentored by Dick Cigler would tell you he left a lasting impression as one of the most influential staff members at the Daily Cougar--a highly regarded champion of free speech at the University of Houston's newspaper.
``He taught us about the importance of journalism,'' said Tanya Eiserer, an Emmy-award winning reporter for WFAA in Dallas and former Daily Cougar student editor. ``He really taught us the importance of doing the right thing, doing it for the right reasons; and standing up for the underdog.''
Nowhere was that more evident than when, in the 1990s, a group of UH journalists wrote a series of articles challenging the decreased university budget for UH downtown students and the increased budget for subsidiary campuses.
Dick allowed the students to voice their concerns brazenly.
``He didn't try to, you know, tell us to back down,'' Eiserer said. ``He ran interference, and they knew that we were an independent news operation.''
Eiserer remembers Cigler as being a listening ear and a guiding mentor when she transferred from Baylor University to UH. She regarded him as one of the people who helped her become the reporter she is today.
``I learned how to be a journalist at the Daily Cougar,'' said Eiserer. ``I would not give that time back for all the money in the world.''
Cigler worked as Director of UH's Student Publications department, now known as the Center for Student Media, for 23 years until his retirement in 2010.
His impact on the Daily Cougar can be felt to this day.
Cigler died on Jan. 24, 2021, at the age of 79. He leaves behind his two daughters Kerri Runge and Michelle Cigler.
That story was courtesy of Myrakel Baker at Houston Public Media.
The last individual I want to mention is someone who is a local hero but should be a national one. That person was John Bland.
More than 60 years ago, a group of Texas Southern University students took seats at the lunch counter at Weingarten's Supermarket at 4110 Almeda Road, knowing they wouldn't be served.
It was Houston's first sit-in, and that spring, Black college students in cities across the country forced the beginning of an end to racial segregation--at lunch counters, department stores, and city halls.
One of the TSU students at the sit-in was John Bland, a 20-year-old who spent the rest of his life working to advance civil rights and equal opportunity.
Bland worked as a bus operator at HouTran, now called Metro, and he spent more than 50 years organizing with the Transport Workers Union. He served as a vice president of the Texas State AFL-CIO, a president of the Houston chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, a precinct judge, and a member of the Houston Police Department Citizen Review Committee.
``When workers would doubt their ability to beat the odds and make change, Mr. Bland would say, `When we fought for integration in the 1960s, they arrested me 27 times, jailed me, and fined me, but that didn't stop us,' '' Hany Khalil, Executive Director of the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, said.
Bland died on July 9, 2020, at the age of 80. He leaves behind his wife, Betty Davis Bland, and their two daughters and grandson.
That story was courtesy of Jen Rice at Houston Public Media.
I wish I could mention every Houstonian and honor their lives because they all deserve it. They were mothers, wives, fathers, husbands, sons, daughters, and so much more. They will all be missed and are not just another number.
It is for that reason, Mr. Speaker, that I strongly support H.R. 4738 and urge my colleagues to support it as well.
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