Covid-19 Pandemic Timeline

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Tennessee, for yielding and for his leadership in the Doctor's Caucus.

Dr. Roe has educated us that perhaps as physicians in the United States Congress there might not be a more important time that we present ourselves, our abilities to communicate, and understand the nature of this novel coronavirus and its impact on the world, and specifically, on Pennsylvania.

Over the past 6 months, the American people have united against what we have come to realize is an invisible enemy. We have done our part to slow the spread of the coronavirus and to serve our neighbors. Each and every one of us have made sacrifices during this pandemic. And together, we work to make a difference; we work to save lives.

As we look ahead to the future, Americans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the coronavirus vaccine, and I am confident that our researchers, our scientists, are equipped to win this race.

Right now, constituents in Pennsylvania and around our country are making incredible progress in this pursuit as part of Operation Warp Speed--the Trump administration's historic initiative to develop a coronavirus vaccine.

Under the leadership of President Trump, the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services, together with so many in the private sector, are in the midst of what is truly an unprecedented search for a safe and effective vaccine, all in record time, with significant amounts of vaccine that will be developed for the people of America.

This process, as the doctors with me here tonight have testified, is driven by science but it is rooted in safety. And let's be certain: A vaccine will only be approved if it is proven to be both safe and effective.

Operation Warp Speed is taking all of the precautionary steps that are required to develop any vaccine. But here is the difference: As part of Operation Warp Speed, vaccine manufacturers can undertake several steps of vaccine development at the same time, mitigating the financial risk without, again, compromising the safety or the efficacy of the vaccine.

We know that Operation Warp Speed is unprecedented. To achieve the results for the American people, the Federal Government has invested over $10 billion to support the development of this coronavirus vaccine. While we, as Members, as healthcare professionals, recognize that there are no guarantees in science, this strategy is setting up manufacturers for success, and it is offering hope for the American people.

If anyone can deliver substantial qualities and quantities of a safe and effective vaccine within a year of the discovery of a new virus, it is the United States of America.

Thanks to Americans' unparalleled ingenuity and drive, we are better positioned to develop therapeutics and a vaccine than any other country. And Americans know that we are up to the challenge because we have seen challenges before.

In the late 1940s, the polio virus was responsible for disabling more than 35,000 average people per year in the United States. And in 1954, Dr. Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburgh in my home State of Pennsylvania. Since then, the polio vaccine has been widely distributed in the United States and across the world. We have witnessed previously significant progress. And it is our hope--and that is why we bind together as the Doctor's Caucus and present in this Special Order a discussion of how this vaccine is being developed today, right now. And we look forward to that.

We trust in American ingenuity. We recognize that American ingenuity will win, and we are confident that we will see that in short order.

Again, I thank my colleague, my mentor, Dr. Phil Roe for organizing this Special Order and allowing us to present this important information to America.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, next I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter). Dr. Buddy Carter is our only pharmacist--soon to be two--in the U.S. Congress. We are glad to have Dr. Carter from Georgia One. He has been an incredibly important member of the Doctor's Caucus in providing his perspective because he has run a business for many, many years, has seen patients for many, many years, and brings his perspective to our caucus.

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