Eleanor Holmes Norton: “I come to the floor to echo the rising chorus for a fifth coronavirus bill and to applaud three vital provisions…”

“I come to the floor to echo the rising chorus for a fifth coronavirus bill and to applaud three vital provisions addressed to the special circumstances of the District of Columbia in that bill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have taken needed initiative in introducing the HEROES Act to get ahead of this virus, instead of chasing it. The first four bills have proven themselves. Jurisdictions following the CDC guidelines, like the District of Columbia, are seeing deaths decrease. Across the country, careful reopenings are occurring. To be sure, scientists are warning of prolonging the virus unless there is more social distancing and masking, because that is far from universal. But my Republican friends have called for a pause. Of course, we have seen unprecedented spending, but this is an unprecedented virus. The virus has shut down the entire world. I am pleased that Republicans may be declaring the end of their pause barely a week after House passage of the HEROES Act. Yesterday, the Senate majority leader said Congress will probably have to pass a fifth bill. Thank you, Senator McConnell. President Trump said--and I am quoting him--``I think the United States will need another round of stimulus.'' They may be following Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who said more is needed for the economy shortly after the April report showed a 14.7 percent unemployment rate. Mr.…”