Global Child Thrive Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Castro and Representative Fitzpatrick for their leading efforts on the Global Child Thrive Act, which we are considering here today.

Although children have not faced as many direct health effects from COVID-19, the follow-on effects of the pandemic endanger the welfare of countless vulnerable children around the world. Over the summer, the U.N. estimated that an additional 10,000 children are dying every month due to hunger caused by COVID-19.

This pandemic is also reversing hard-fought gains we have made in combating other diseases, increasing access to education, and reducing extreme poverty.

This legislation supports efforts to integrate early childhood development into existing interventions on nutrition, education, maternal health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.

It also expands the role of the Special Advisor for Assistance to Orphans and Vulnerable Children in coordinating U.S. assistance and improving interagency cooperation.

This bill, in short, Madam Speaker, protects the most vulnerable in our society, our children, from hunger and disease, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), the coauthor of the bill. An esteemed member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the gentleman, again, working with my good friend, Congressman Castro, has brought this measure forward today.

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Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am prepared to close.

Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, Brian Fitzpatrick, for his work in the FBI. I thought it was very compelling, the testimony about putting children's lives as the highest priority as he served as a very distinguished special agent in the Bureau and now serves in this Congress. I think Georgetown University ranked him as the most bipartisan Member of this body, of the House. I take pride in being on the top of the list, but Mr. Fitzpatrick's service in this House has been to issues of importance to Americans.

Most Americans don't want us bickering. Most Americans want us working across the aisle to get good things done for the people of this country. The gentleman has demonstrated that every day I have witnessed him in office in this Congress and since he has served in office.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Castro for his leadership.

Finally, Madam Speaker, being a Catholic myself, I do want to thank Catholic Relief Services and the development community for their work on this bill, working so hard to get to this point where we are now on the floor of the House of Representatives in the United States Congress getting ready to pass such an important bill that will save so many children's lives.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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