Transcripts For CSPAN2 House Oversight Virtual Hearing On Co

CSPAN2 House Oversight Virtual Hearing On Coronavirus Essential Workers July 12, 2024

George floyd and of police brutality. This has built so many of us into the street to stand with our neighbors and communities of color. Entertainingly and systematically abused by the criminal justice system. The committee in the house as a whole, is committed to swiftly enacting profound reforms. To punish police misconduct. Holding Police Department accountable to oversight. In eliminating the financing of police militarization. We hope have more to say in the coming days. And as my friend set us we, my protest is my statement. Even as we prepare our legislative solution. The topic of todays is essential workers pretty since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and the United States, we are all acutely aware of the threats posed to ours health and safety. But we do not all face of the risk of the crisis equally. Grocery store workers, Food Processing employee, Public Transportation operators. Nurses and doctors and hospital support staff, nursing home employees, First Responders, janitors, mail carriers, delivery workers. In new york alone, at least 123 workers at the metropolitan Transportation Authority is died this year from coronavirus. The people doing these jobs have taken on the extraordinary burden of maintaining essential services and dangerous circumstances. They are essential to keeping this nation running. That is why we recognize them as essential workers. They are our heroes. Today on the focus response ability that a federal government passed to protect and support them now and into the future. Like the heroes of 911, the essential workers of today have been called upon to serve their country at a time of critical need. I need the faces them in the families at heightened risk of injury. I believe we have an obligation to ensure that if they are the families become ill, there are Financial Resources provided for them. That is why following the successful model of the 911 compensation fund, id have produced hr 69 oh nine, the pandemic heroes compensation act. On a bipartisan basis with judiciary chairman, jerry had looked and congressman peter. Several members of this Committee Support as well. I hope the proposal will earn the same level of bipartisan support on september 11th Victims Compensation fund. Congress with overwhelming support wanted to make this permanent. When the jobs deemed essential during the pandemic, they are dis and dismissal to the functioning of our communities. There are few other characteristics that essential workers share. They are more likely to be paid lower wages. Theyre less likely to have Employment Benefits like paid sick leave for the option of teleworking. That means they are being forced into unsafe working conditions. Still our country asked them to go to work everyday. Family financial help and they are the families get sick, it will also need financial help if they have to stop working to care for a sick family member. They should not have to bear the burden of these costs alone. If especially when many are already at risk of economic instability. This burden does not fall in all communities equally. Black and latino workers make up the majority of the workforce considered essential. Communities of color have been disproportionately harm the coronavirus pandemic. Due to systemic problems in our country, these workers along with less, and wages on average than their white counterparts. They deserve our support. American thank you is not enough. We need to do more to support the heroes of this pandemic. It is a federa federal governmes response ability now just as it was after 911 to provide help to essential workers and stepping up to help all of them during this crisis. Now before he turned it over for opening to me, i went to everyone know that i will be asking the vice chairman of the committee to chair the rest of the steering for me. After a few days of feeling well, i decided to get check for covid19. And other medical professionals am a doctor, himself quarantining home until he learned the results of the test and therefor. On think all of yoh out to me, im deeply grateful for everyones support and i want to think vice chairman for sharing this important hearing on essential workers. With that i will turn it over to the Ranking Member for his Opening Statement and turn the reins over to vice chairman. Thank you. Ranking member, worked out recognize for your Opening Statement. Thank you chairwoman. Let me also had to you, personally my best wishes for you and your health. We are hopeful peripheral that you will be completely back in the saddle in the very near future. We appreciate you sharing that. First of all, i also say thank you to those who serve on the frontlines. Obviously, we think of doctors and nurses and medical staff and First Responders but there are also the Truck Drivers who have factory workers and a host of other people who work tirelessly to sustain us as a country and did so during this pandemic. I also want to extend the most sincere and deepest condolences to those across our country of him who have lost loved ones during this time. I think it is important for all of us to remember that during times of crisis, our First Responders become more than just the police and fire emts. In times of emergencies also include people for shoulders we cry on, it includes counselors, various people who offer support. Thats what today we want to say thank you to all of them. The movement right now to defund Police Departments, this movement from the left to me right now is particularly disturbing. I think it is not only absent minded and frankly demonstrated major disconnect with people across this country and need of safety. These men and women, the Police Officers Law Enforcement have been on the frontlines 24 7 for us for the last three months. And according to the order of police over 100 of them have lost their lives to the coronavirus alone. During last few months. And the tragic death of george floyd and many others before him, proved without any question there are issues in this country that must be addressed. With this abolishing Law Enforcement is not now more will it ever be the solution. That would be like saying we are going to abolish education because we have a few bad teachers. It is something we would not do. Yes we do have some bad apples and actors within Law Enforcement but we also have two good ones. In his foolishness for us to throw the baby out with the bathwater. And like ensure every one in the steering today, and the appalling of mr. Floyds death this last few moments of his life, and know that i will ever quite get over that. How was reminded in the aftermath of it all personally, when the mike Great American heroes that i loved. In fact i just read it biography is found frederick douglass. Ms. Tokyo made a statement that anyone who claims to love america, can not sleeper national sands under the rug. He made statement similar to that. That was the essence of his statement and i fully agree with him. We must fight her right the wrongs of racism in this country. But under money and are eliminating americas Law Enforcement is not the answer. The vast majority o Law Enforcement officers in this country a great of standing sermons in their communities. They act in the wake of George Floyds death, hundreds of Police Officers have been injured across his country and several have lost their lives. And if we have cities like los angeles new york, minneapolis, who are literally seriously considering defunding the Police Departments of the time. Even to the extent of totally disbanding the Police Departments pretty so i just call and our colleagues across the aisle for all of us to fight racism, i believe that we can and we must fight racism in the same time, support our Law Enforcement. We can do both and we should do both. I believe this is the time for me to come together as a country and restore the bond us a faith in god and our love for one another. In this type of rhetoric and disbanding and going after Law Enforcement agencies i believe does more harm and drives a drives a wedge further apart. We are at a historic point in our nation. No point in time no doubt. As a relates to the coronavirus itself, since the beginning of this virus, it was the benchmark for reopening and has been it was then we were clearly told, we must flatten the curve so that our Hospital Systems would not be overwhelmed. As a result the economy came to a screeching halt. We ignited as a nation we stayed home. We flatten the curve and we succeeded. Rep. Hice and now at this point, secure capacities in our hospitals and hospitalizations for covid19 related illnesses continues to decline. All across the country. The Trump Administration is on track to procure some 200,000 ventilators by the end of the year. And we also have over 200,000 ventilators available in the strategic stockpile. So while the Previous Administration left us unprepared, the Trump Administration is making a stronger than ever. And states are beginning to reopen the economy. In order to help communities that have been horribly impacted and in some instances, businesses and individual lives because of the shut down. Loss of economic output, in the u. S. Alone is estimated to be 5 percent of the countries gross domestic process. 1. 1 trillion for every month that we are shut down. The Unemployment Rate hit a record rate of 14. 7 percent with over 40 Million People filing for unemployment. However last month, estates began to reopen, last month the economy added to have million jobs and in some states, are totally open for business and the rest of the country has to follow suit. In addition to this natural impacts, Health Experts agree in telling us that prolonged shutdowns like with the same result in a wide range of health issues. Including things like suicide and Mental Health. Domestic violence, substance abuse. Reluctance to doctors for the needed healthcare issues. Southerners fiscal issues, physical issues, Mental Health issues rated we must come to the point now of reopening our economy, reopening our businesses. You have to be honest. Here we are, while so much of the countries returning to work, here we are any of us here in washington having this hearing while Speaker Pelosi and her House Democrats continue to stay at home only virtual hearings. We have got to get back to doing the real life ones that American People sent us here to do. I just urge my colleagues from the underside of the aisle to come back to washington and do what we have been elected to do. And with that, i yield back. Thank you so much. Now we will introduce our within this is what is is. First we have essential worker who died from coronavirus. Next we have john gossetts International Transit union. Next we have anthony Mark International president of the Food International union. The also have with us bonnie who is director of National Nurses association and the National Nurses organizing committee. And also clinton was the Senior Vice President for policy and advocacy. An executive director of the Washington Bureau of the National Urban league. And we have mr. Wright is the president of the foundation for research on equal opportunity. Witnesses will behind muted. So we can swear the man. Please raise your right hand do you swear or affirm that the testimony about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you god. Yes, we do. Let them recommend that the witnesses entered answered in the affirmative. Without objection, your sameness will be made part of the record. Hello everyone. My name is anita brady i work in a medical college. In the pediatric administration. My two sons joshua and brandon. Here today to tell you about my family and how we lost our Guiding Light to covid19 on april 9th. Im also here to speak on behalf of one of the families left behind, and that you best the act to help families with essential workers. They make the ultimate sacrifice, involved in this pandemic. First let me tell you about my husband and pretty it was one of the strongest and kindest dedicated most loving persons i have ever known. We met in the Brooklyn Hospital center where he lived and worked until the day he passed away. He was a lovely husband and a best friend to anybody who walked his path. His great father. He was a dedicated patient transporter over 20 years. It was the kind of guy whos just getting his paycheck. He loved his job. He loved to be in the hospital. He felt responsible for all of his patients and make sure to get everyone of them the same level of care and attention than any of us would want for mark family members. He loved to tell jokes and he would light up the room. Use that gift to make his patients feel comfortable. It was a loyal coworker and work truly devoted to the Healthcare Workers he believed that everyone deserves to be treated fairly in the link that given the respect was part of giving good care and healthcare setting. He missed his calling, he shouldve been a lawyer. In the being an advocate. He loved be an example to others. He had covid19 for nearly three weeks. A matter of days, my strong husband went from having a fever to going on the ventilator. Ill never forget the day that he got the call that he passed away. Me and my sons, our children will miss him forever. He was a big presence in our lives. Is our Guiding Light in our protector. It is a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan. The football coach and best friend. He was out rock. I dont know how to make it through the days him. Every day that passes by, seems so unreal that he is not here. He was also a partner. Together we are raising a family. We worked hard to build our dreams, and give our children the same dreams are dreams we never had. Ill have lost my best friend, but he loved this man. For over ten years. We were building our american dream. Not just for us but for the tens of the othertens of thousands of other families, that lost their loved ones to the scroll virus. In addition to supporting the families left behind, to honor help our heroes be like my husband who did everything he could to stop this spread of the coronavirus. We need to make sure the testing is widely available. My husband didnt get tested until his he needed to be on a ventilator. We need to make sure that every Healthcare Worker has access to the protective equipment to help save the lives. On these last few months, many essential workers play crucial roles in our Healthcare Systems have gone unacknowledged. Housekeepers, and transporters like my husband, and we as a nation can show our gratitude. And make sure that these can go home to their families. We make the ultimate sacrifice. Protecting their families they left behind so that we may go to help others build their american dream. Thank you. Thank you so much. It we send our deepest sympathies for your loss. Thank you now we have mr. Costa, you are now recognized for five minutes. Ranking member jordan, thank you for the opportunity to testify. If enemy arrows compensation act of 2020. We strongly support the critical legislation transit workers need a new program for those who are impacted by the coronavirus. This was after the september 11th compensation. The largest Transit Union with over 200,000 members. It is been 12 weeks now at this pandemic has been out there and unlike others, our members have not had the opportunity to stay home and work from home. We where the workers out there that are moving the economy. Keeping the citys going and unfortunately we are the workers that expected the most the infections which are right now, over a thousand. And 12 weeks later. We have over a thousand confirmed it and unfortunately 53 remember some past. Our concerns are its only going to get worse. On the reopenings was obviously one of the more exposed. The sacrifices my members are making out there today, to be in the front lines and keep moving, and 911 michael done it before. Katrina sandy, we have been out there doing our jobs. We know the hard. Our members are assaulted pretty and some are murdered. Now we have challenge with this enemy we cannot see every day. And unfortunately its going to get worse i think. The lack of ppes, weve been dealing with many problems for the ppes. 50 percent of our ppes do not have the proper ppe. It and from the getgo, and art cdc telling us we did not need masks. Certain things we do not need and later on changed their minds. And we believe we cant count on the government. We need to make demands. So we have

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