America's Global Leadership During Covid-19

Floor Speech

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Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I rise in the midst of a global pandemic to emphasize importance and need of America's global leadership to combat COVID-19. I have seen firsthand in my district in Queens, NY--the epicenter of the epicenter--that those who were the most vulnerable before this crisis, such as individuals who were experiencing homelessness or housing instability, economic instability, or food insecure--are also the most likely to be affected by this pandemic.

There is a temptation, in this moment of extreme personal suffering, to buy into the dichotomy that we can either help Americans or we can help our allies. This is a false choice. By only focusing on ``flattening the curve'' in America, we not only risk the lives of allies and partners in other countries, but we risk a resurgence of cases as the global economy re-opens.

As a Member of the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, I believe it is more critical than ever to pass a robust international affairs budget that supports the healthcare systems of developing countries. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene programs, for example, are more critical than ever. Vigorously washing our hands has become our new normal in the U.S., but that requires access to a safe, reliable water supply, which is not available in many communities around the world.

Americans leadership is not only needed to stop the physical spread of the virus, but also to deal with its serious, secondary consequences. For instance, crises and emergencies exacerbate cases of domestic violence; we have already seen this evidence here at home during this pandemic. Humanitarian programs, like the Safe from the Start program which I have strongly advocated for, supports surges in rapid deployment of senior gender advisors to at-risk communities during humanitarian emergencies. This type of programming seeks to mitigate gender-based violence and develop ways to include women in decision-making processes. With that, I am proud to have spearheaded my bipartisan legislation Safe from the Start Act (H.R. 4092)--to codify this critical program.

Madam Speaker, American leadership is critical in the global fight against COVID-19; without it, this global health crisis will continue to devastate countries around the world and rebound back to our shores.

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