The 1800 page measure includes money to support state and local governments, Virus Testing and treatment and new Cash Payments to americans. Here is some of that now beginning with House Speaker nancy pelosi. Thank you very much, mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished chair for yielding and thank her for her tremendous leadership. My colleagues, a horrible virus has made a vicious attack on the lives and the livelihood of the American People, indeed on the life of the our democracy of our democracy. We have a momentous opportunity and therefore a great opportunity to defeat the virus and to do so in a way that brings us together and takes us forward to a stronger america. Today the house will consider e heroes act, to honor those who are on the front lines. Our Health Care Workers, our First Responders, teachers, sanitation workers, food providers, transit workers and other essential workers. Many of them have risked their lives to save lives and now they may lose their jobs. For many of them, this is just what is happening right now as governors across the country are lanning their budgets. As the coronavirus takes its vicious toll on the lives and livelihood of the country, it is also it has also taken a toll on the states to deliver services to the people. Governors are forced to either cut services or increase taxes or both. The Congress Must honor its responsibility to the American People to lessen the blow of the same irus by making the serious investment of the heroes act to our state, local, tribal and territorial governments. The plan that we are voting on today will make a tremendous difference not only in the budgets in the states, but in the lives of the American People. Public health, education of our children, the sanitation that is so important in defeating the virus, with the support of so many essential workers. Actually, the distinguished gentleman on the other side of the aisle talked about the cost of the bill. The cost to the states, localities, territories and tribal governments is less than the cost of the republican tax break which gave 83 of the benefits to the top 1 . We think this is a major investment in the lives of the American People and in the budgets of our states. Setting aside how we got here, we must approach this tragedy with the deepest humanity, mr. Speaker. All of our hearts are broken by the 87,000 americans who have lost their lives and nearly 1. 5 million who have been infected by the coronavirus. The number of 36 million or more americans who have filed for Unemployment Insurance is almost unimaginable. This is a moment when our fellow americans are in deep suffering. We must have empathy for our heroes, the Health Care Workers, for how exhausted they must be and how stressed they are in doing their jobs. And, again, theyre at risk of losing their jobs in this economy. We must also emphasize the pain of families who do not know where their next meal is coming from or how theyre going to pay next months rent. It is imperative that we address the needs of the American People with clarity as we proceed. Its always interesting to me, mr. Speaker, to see how much patience some people have with the pain and suffering of other people. A tolerance level that is not acceptable and a in a great country like america, with a sense of community and concern for each other. We can all agree that we must open the economy. For sure. As quickly as we can. But we must do so based on science and data. The key to opening this door is testing, tracing, treating and social distancing. Overwhelmingly the scientist community Scientific Community grease. The heroes act has a strategic agrees. The heroes act has a Strategic Plan, something that has been lacking thus far. A Strategic Plan with a vision to end this playing. A strategic, a goal strategic vision, a goal, a timetable, milestone, benchmarks put forth by the energy and Commerce Committee, mr. Pallone, thank you. And that is really important. You have to have a plan. To succeed. As families are devastated by the loss of life, this legislation of putting money in the pockets of the American People, which is also a stimulus for the economy, is essential. Theyre suffering so much in so many ways. We want to lessen the pain for them. As the Federal Reserve chairman powell said, additional fiscal now this is very important because it isnt one of us saying it to each other. The authority of the chairman of the Federal Reserve board, additional fiscal support could be costly. But its worth it if it helps avoid longterm economic damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery. The tradeoff is one for our elected representatives, he says, who wield powers of taxation and spending. As elected officials, he indicated us, we have the responsibility and the opportunity to think big, as he advised, and act now for the people. The distinguished gentleman said, oh, my goodness, we put this bill on the floor. Well, let me just do a little history of the last few months. I too am very proud of the fact that we were able to bring four bills to conclusion in a strong, bipartisan way. First one on march 4, testing, testing, testing. Not really fulfilled. But nonetheless, intended. 10 days later on march 14, masks, masks, masks, masks. Again, p. P. E. , not fully realized. But nonetheless, intended. March 28, the president of the United States signed the cares act. The first cares act. D that was a bill that was developed by the Republican Leadership in the senate. They put forth their proposal, we responded, acted upon it, and came forth with a bipartisan agreement. The next bill, the interim p. P. P. Bill, was also developed by the republican leader in the senate. He put forth their proposal, we put forth our suggestions, we negotiated, we came forth with a bipartisan bill forward with a bipartisan bill. Dont you take pride in the house of representatives having the same opportunity and privilege as the Republican Leadership in the senate for us to put forth legislation in this terrible fight . And more than 80 of what is in this legislation has already been supported in a bipartisan way. Weve agreed on state and local in other bills. Weve agreed on testing and at least two other in at least two other bills. Have agreed on supporting hospitals, weve agreed on Unemployment Insurance. Weve agreed on direct payments. So much that is in this legislation has appeared in previous Bipartisan Legislation. So were not asking people to do something they havent done before. But there are some things that we want to add. The postal system, more for voting. But they did vote for voting vote by mail legislation before. A very strong osha regulation that mandates certain conditions so that our workers will be protected and that our employers will know what the standards are clearly that they must honor and therefore theyre protected as well. Now some of the members say, lets take a pause. Lets take a pause . Do you think this virus is taking a pause . Do you think that the rent takes a pause . Do you think that putting food on the table or the hunger that comes if you cant takes a pause . This is the hardship of losing a job doesnt take a pause. Or tragically, losing a loved one. It doesnt take a pause. So many lives may have been saved if we had testing and tracing and treatment earlier on. Thats what we must do, so we can end this. But we dont end by pausing in the fight. This virus is relentless. It is possibly mutating and changing its nature. This is a very difficult fight. And it gives us a moment that we must admit that the American People are suffering deeply, suffering deeply. We must have empathy for our Health Care Workers again and again who risk their lives to save lives and again are at risk of losing jobs of their own, as i said before. And we have empathy for the families who are sick and parents struggling to pay the rent and put food on the table. Can you just imagine losing a loved one so mysteriously, so out of the blue and many people cannot embrace them or say goodbye because of the way the virus is communicated. We cannot abandon them in this time of need. Protect lives and livelihoods, house and senate, must come together as we have done responding to the republicans bill that they constructed on their own in the nat senate and now we offered much of what they offered, a little more because the needs are greater. And we must give pass this bill to give families the relief they need. These are the American People. This is our family. They are suffering. They need help. We have the resources and the opportunity to do so. Its interesting to me and sad for me as a mother and grandmother of children who are younger and college age that this is the time that they would have been enjoying graduation. I have spoken at many, many, ny graduations, watching hundreds of thousands of Students Walk across that stage to see the pride in their families. Many of them, the first in their families to graduate from ollege, to see the symbol of success and love and joy that is for those families. They will be missing that ritual. Sadly, whether its college or high school or grade school or even going into middle school. So here we are at a time when these young people president kennedy said Young Children are our greatest resource and our best hope for the future. They are our hope. But we must also give them hope as they go forward by alleviating the challenge our country is facing and make the future better for them. Its always about the children and their future. I urge our colleagues to consider all of those children all over america, but also in their own states, in their own districts as they make their decision today that is so important to our country. And that is why i am so grateful, mr. Speaker, to our distinguished chairwoman, chairwoman lowey as chair of the Appropriations Committee. She and chairs of our committees have been dazzling, dazzling with a depth of knowledge of the subject, the extent of legislative brilliance that they have brought to all of this, nowing, knowing the challenge, understanding the policy, strategicically thinking about how best to accomplish and use money. This is not a christmas tree. There is nothing joyful about this. This is a stre strategicically planned piece of legislation that is tailored to meet the needs of the American People regarding the coronavirus pandemic. To do anything less would not be responsible. Theres more we could have done but wanted to keep the cost in line. When you talk about the cost, you have to think about the opportunity lost. The chairman of the fed has told us to think big. Its never going to be cheaper, he said, because the cost of interest is so low, the cost of credit is so low. Nd i say not to act now is not only irresponsible in a humanitarian way, it is irresponsible because its only going to cost more, more in terms of lives, livelihoods, cost to the budget, cost to our democracy. As governors struggle, city halls, county executives struggle to make their budget. So depleted by this virus. So this funding is to make sure to takey have the funds care of some of the funding of the coronavirus expenses directly and also a recognition of the loss of revenue to their budgets because of this assault on our economy by this vicious little virus that we must defeat. So as we do that, i thank the distinguished chairwoman for her extraordinary leadership. She has a few more bills to go. A lot of time left. A great contribution to make, but i had the privilege of serving with her for decades and im sorry to see her leave the congress, but she leaves a tremendous legacy. You know, we all believe that a budget should be a statement about our National Values and its important to us as a nation to be reflected in our budgets and how we allocate our resources. Chairwoman lowey has been just hat messenger of values as she has put forth her budget and does so with respect for the republicans in this committee, in this congress and in this country. Bipartisanship is the order of the day. As a former member of the Appropriations Committee and intelligence, i recognize full well, the product, as mr. Cole said, appropriators working together. Left to their own devices, they can get the job done and they will. And i have no doubt that this legislation will have bipartisan support. I just want it to be soon, because these governors cant wait. Right now as i said, they have many layoffs. They dont have the money. They are going to raise property taxes. We can make that go away in large measure if we pass this legislation because its not just about their budget, its about the services for the people of our country that will be lessened if we do not help. What are we here for but for the American People. How are their services delivered. Many ways by the state houses and the state legislatures, the city councils, mayors offices and the rest, we have a responsibility to make strategic spending that we need to do and thats what this bill does. Its not for us to praise our heroes. Everybody praises them and thanks them and honors them. Words . We need deeds and real support for them. This is the saddest part, all these people who have died. I know, speaking on both sides of the aisle hearing our colleagues speak, but all of us will always carry those people in our hearts. Is 87,000 now and hopefully curtail the growth of that number with our testing, but we must make the decision to do so and thats the decision we have to make today. I thank my colleagues for their thoughtful consideration of the heroes act. And i thank you for your concern about the American People. Let us come together and give them a real signal that we care by allocating the resources to meet their needs. We pray for all of them, all of our constituents and we pray and thank god for continuing to bless america. With that, mr. Speaker, i urge my colleagues to support the heroes act and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california yields. The gentleman from the gentlewoman from new york yields and reserves. I apologize and the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. Mr. Cole while our istinguished speaker and i may disagree we agree with the appropriations chairwoman and her ability to bring us together. I yield two minutes to the distinguished Ranking Member of the commerce, justice and science subcommittee Appropriations Committee, mr. Aderholt of alabama. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized recognized. Mr. Aderholt i thank the gentleman. I rise in strong opposition to this bill. No doubt as has been said, state and local governments across this nation are hurting because of economic downturn this virus has created. However, these times call for cooperation. The democrats unfortunately have chosen partisanship. America needs us to come together to address this pandemic. But the democrats chose their own way, shutting out the republicans and discussing this bill. Unform, the democratic leadership seems more interested in shaping the debate for november than solving the real problems that this country is going through today. Among the many concerns is the election mandate. The democrat pipe dream would lead to widespread voter fraud by allowing ballot harvesting and prohibiting even states from requiring voter identification. Let me be clear. This bill is chock full of proposals that have absolutely nothing to do with the addressing the economic harms from the pandemic virus that we are experiencing in this nation. A 3 trillion liberal wish list is not a serious proposal. The United States of america, this country deserves better. And i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from alabama yields. The gentleman from oklahoma reserves. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Mrs. Lowey mr. Speaker, i am delighted to yield two minutes to my friend, a fellow new yorker and outstanding congresswoman from new york and chairwoman of the committee on oversight and reform, mrs. Maloney. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized for two minutes. Mrs. Maloney i thank my good friend from new york for yielding. I rise in strong support of the heroes act. This bill provide will provide 67 billion in emergency relief to new york state, emergency aid that is needed by a state that is on the front line of our national fight against the coronavirus. There is more than 17 billion that will go directly to new york city. If people continue to inspire the country with their resilience, courage and compassion. The bill includes perimeters that are important to my district for people who have lost their jobs. The federal government will pay their rent for them out of 100 billion fund. As chair of the oversight committee, i helped lead a bipartisan effort to save the Postal Service from financial ruin. This bill will provide 25 billion to ensure it can continue serving the american public. I thank the numerous members on both sides of the aisle who have joined me in fighting for this and supporting this funding. This Emergency Assistance will mean that we can avoid drastic service cuts at a time when american lives depend on the mail more and more every day. Recognizing that congress has a constitutional responsibility to sure a fair and accurate census. This bill extends certain reporting deadlines. The administration has asked for this delay as a result of the coronavirus crisis, which caused key operations of the 2020 census to