Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019
Floor Speech
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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our efforts to defeat this deadly virus. This bill will help people who are hurting because of this outbreak.
For those from rural districts, like mine, our hospitals cannot handle the onslaught of patients. Hospitals in my district face a situation as dire as it has ever been in my 18 years in Congress. The capacity just isn't there. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, most hospitals in Alabama's Third Congressional District were operating with less than a one-third profit margin.
This bill helps those rural hospitals by enabling them to buy central supplies, build needed infrastructure for broadband and telehealth, and keep cash flowing so they can remain able to help patients. That is the good news.
As ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I want to acknowledge the hardworking personnel of the Department of Homeland Security. These men and women interact with the public daily, whether it is Transportation Security Administration, CBP, ICE, or others. They are putting themselves in harm's way with this deadly contagion. I say thank you for their dedication to ensuring the safety of our Homeland Security.
This bill provides DHS with a number of its requests to combat this deadly virus, and I am thankful for that. But for some reason, we couldn't see fit to provide the full amount requested by Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deal with this virus. There isn't any dedicated money to purchase personnel equipment for CBP, for example, or ICE. These professionals work face- to-face with migrants and they deserve better.
This won't be the last time Congress has to act to mitigate the impact of this virus on America. I thank President Trump for his leadership, and the willingness of Republicans and Democrats to come together to put America's needs first.
There will be the need for more help; there will be the need for more legislation; but, for the time being, this piece of legislation must pass, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
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