On the recordFebruary 3, 2021
Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge Mr. Yarmuth here for the clarity and the speed with which he has proceeded. A reminder in support of this resolution here to the previous speaker, the gentleman from Missouri: this is the opening salvo in a process. This is not the conclusion. To talk to the President of the United States this morning without any incendiary rhetoric and no divisive tone, but for him to reiterate good suggestions will be entertained as good suggestions as the process goes forward. The COVID-19 crisis is far from over. Record numbers of deaths--look at the numbers in front of us, Mr. Speaker. What has happened? The number of people who are projected to die by the next quarter, 500,000 Americans dead, 25 million infected, 19 million Americans receiving unemployment insurance. And we are going too fast in this process? President Biden and his American rescue plan contains the kind of bold policies that we have sought to advance here for months. We understand that the economy will not recover without first crushing the virus. Mr. Speaker, we will not get the economy back up and running until we defeat the virus and restore safe working conditions, as previously noted. This public health emergency requires aggressive, science-based action, and it is going to take time.…





