Anthony Gonzalez: “I thank Mr. Burgess for his leadership. Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, we will call up H.R. 1371…”

“I thank Mr. Burgess for his leadership. Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, we will call up H.R. 1371, the Crush the Virus Act of 2021, introduced by my good friend, Mr. Tom Reed. This is legislation that is based off of the Problem Solvers Caucus- endorsed framework for additional funding in order to defeat the virus by making further investments into testing, vaccine distribution, PPE, and utilizing the Defense Production Act. In other words, this is a targeted solution that can garner bipartisan support--unlike what we are doing today--and show the American people that we are committed to working together to defeat the virus. To date, while Congress may have struggled at times to deliver timely results, we have come together each time to pass needed legislation to help small businesses, hospitals, and Americans impacted by the virus. This is the way Congress is supposed to work. But instead, House Democrats have embarked upon a purely partisan approach, pushing aside Republican lawmakers, like myself, who actually want to find common ground. And for what?…”