Janice Schakowsky: “I am proud to be here as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I rise, as we all know, during one of the…”

“I am proud to be here as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I rise, as we all know, during one of the most challenging moments in the history of our country and, I would say, the world. Americans are hurting, and families are suffering. The calls that are coming to my office, and I am sure to yours, too, are just heartbreaking. But today, we will pass a bill that will provide critical relief to begin the healing in our communities. Despite, I have to say, the failure of leadership from our President, Congress has, in fact, stepped up. Thanks to the unity of House and Senate Democrats, we pushed the initial Republican proposal from corporate-first to families-and- workers-first. We fought for and won a $100 billion investment in hospitals and healthcare systems for our doctors and nurses on the front line fighting the coronavirus, often without the equipment that they need. I am imploring the President to fully invoke the Defense Production Act so that our frontline workers will have the protective gear that they need and right now are not getting. The CARES Act will also provide double the unemployment insurance benefits that Republicans initially proposed.…”