On the recordDecember 21, 2020
I am glad that we finally have a bipartisan deal for COVID relief, but the process has been absolutely terrible. I have to tell you that we have, what, 6,000 pages? And what did we get? We got it, like, maybe 2 hours ago, the text of it. We were waiting all night. In fact, Speaker Pelosi had called Members back last week. We thought we were going to be doing this last Wednesday. Instead, we were doing all these suspension bills. People had to fly from all over the country--all the Congress Members--in crowded airports, crowded planes; not really good for mitigating COVID, if you ask me. Madam Speaker, I will say, though, that I am glad that, finally, after months and months of Republicans asking for a bipartisan COVID relief bill that could actually get signed into law, we are actually here today, even if it is a couple days before Christmas. And it is a bill that will help small businesses and their workers, will help the airline industry, will be a solution to Americans who are struggling with surprise medical bills. {time} 1630 For those who are unemployed because of the coronavirus, because the governments have shut down the businesses, it will give unemployment insurance relief. But there will be protections in there to make sure that the people are really unemployed and that they will accept a reasonable offer for a job. Also good in the bill is that there is not only money for vaccine procurement but for distribution of the vaccines.…
