Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, while this bill is not perfect--few bills are--the bill before us today is a good bill and we are quite frankly in the midst of perhaps our greatest health care crisis since the flu pandemic of 1918, the year my grandmother was born in rural Alabama. Because of the crisis, we have a responsibility to take action.

Our President, Donald Trump, has shaped one of the most successful economic periods in our memory. I admire and support his ongoing vision of creating and maintaining jobs in the United States.

Unfortunately, this virus which we are currently dealing with has a very high rate of transmission, often before the carrier is symptomatic. This is why the President and our healthcare experts have encouraged people to stay home, meaning that the very activities crucial to thriving business activity have temporarily been put on hold in order to stop the spread of the virus.

Experts in both the public and private sectors are working almost around the clock to produce the therapies and medical devices we need, and also on an eventual vaccine.

In the meantime, we must help American workers and businesses who, through no fault of their own, simply cannot work due to circumstances and in some cases due to having the virus itself.

This bill has been in the spotlight at every point in its negotiations. Again, while this bill is not perfect, it accomplishes a number of things I support. Here are just a few.

Rural hospitals serve our constituents who cannot travel to large hospitals, and, indeed, are being asked not to travel at all. The $100 billion emergency fund is necessary to prevent the imminent shutdowns of these small rural hospitals such as in my hometown of Haleyville which were already operating on a razor's edge margin. This bill also includes assistance for our Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers to provide telehealth services during this crisis.

Likewise, we need for every person, every student, to have access to broadband internet service.

During the course of negotiations on this bill, I repeatedly warned that rural Americans without access to high-speed internet are being left behind as Americans are asked to work from home, take classes online, and utilize telehealth services to combat the spread of the coronavirus. After working alongside colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and also our Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee Kay Granger of Texas, I am pleased to see that this bill contains $340 million for rural broadband deployment, distance learning, and telehealth for rural areas. This is a step in the right direction toward getting rural Americans the help that they need during the coronavirus emergency.

I applaud the President for his desire to send each family a check to help them in this time of need. Likewise, when they spend that money, that act will help sustain our economy.

I believe that we will get through this crisis. And when we do, it will be the economy, the workers and families of this great nation who provide the lasting economic recovery we all look forward to.

In the meantime, this bill has provisions to preserve our travel industry, our contractors working on the Artemis mission to take the first woman astronaut to the Moon, as well as scientists who monitor dangerous weather at NOAA. I want to thank the tremendous leadership of Ranking Member Granger on those efforts, as well as our House leadership, especially my friend and colleague Minority Whip Scalise, and Senator Wicker, as well as Representatives Posey, Palazzo, and many others on both sides of the aisle as we move forward.

I understand the concerns of many Members and Senators about how the unemployment provisions work, but I believe that when this crisis passes, our economy will come roaring back. I want to continue to work with my colleagues on possible corrections and possibly another bill this spring.

I want to thank our farmers, food processors, and truckers who continue during these difficult times to provide the most basic need: food.

Also, our hospitals and healthcare workers--the doctors, nurses, NPs, PAs, CRNAs, lab workers, technicians, and all the other staff who make our hospitals work--around the country are on the front lines of fighting this virus and we are so grateful for their sacrifice to take care of our citizens.

Again, I sincerely believe that we will get through this crisis. Our country is stronger than this virus. This bill is just one example of how we can come together to find solutions.

My prayers are with our families and all families across America as well as with all of our nation's officials, from local government to the White House. I appreciate the feedback from everyone back home, and I hope to continue to do what I can to work on their behalf of all of those I represent.

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