As coronavirus cases continue to spike nationwide, we must ensure the contractors our government relies on are taking every step they can to minimize the spread of covid19 among workers and attain these. For fiscal year 2020, congress appropriated 3. 1 billion approximately in more than 45,000 adult and family i. C. E. Beds. Ion over 80 of these beds are operated daily by private contractors, some of whom are at this hearing today. That is a large amount of taxpayer money. It demands oversight and accountability. Detention facilities must be held to a High Standard at all times. Within this moment, it is of vital importance. Yet over the past few months, it is feared that ice am a and its contractors have not taken the outbreak seriously and have not i. C. E. And its contractors have not taken the outbreak seriously. At least 405i. C. E. Employees assigned to detention facilities have just a positive. Least twost at detainees, a potential third today in florida, and five contractors, d
Today, the subcommittee meets to examine the response to covid19 by four of the contractors responsible for managing facilities. As coronavirus cases continue to spike nationwide, we must ensure the contractors our government relies on are taking every step they can to minimize the spread of covid19 among workers and detainees. Facilities. As coronavirus cases continue to spike nationwide, we must ensure the contractors our government relies on are taking every step they can to minimize the spread of covid19 among workers and attain these. For fiscal year 2020, congress appropriated 3. 1 billion approximately in more than 45,000 adult and family i. C. E. Beds. Ion over 80 of these beds are operated daily by private contractors, some of whom are at this hearing today. That is a large amount of taxpayer money. It demands oversight and accountability. Detention facilities must be held to a High Standard at all times. Within this moment, it is of vital importance. Yet over the past few mon
Care and Distribution Systems and imposing a deadly toll on seniors, in particular. It has hit close to home for many on this committee and im sure that all of our members want to join me in expressing our condolences to senator elizabeth warren, who lost her 86yearold brother to the coronavirus. Elizabeth, were very sorry for your loss. Restrictions on visitors to Nursing Homes have affected even those families whose relatives do not have the virus. I know two brothers from maine whose father is in a nursing home and has dementia. They have not been able to see him for some time now and his health is failing. They are worried that he may not still be alive by the time that they are allowed to visit him. Something that used to happen regularly. This virus has already claimed the lives of more than 90,000 americans, the vast majority of whom were older adults. Adults aged 65 and older are more likely to suffer severe complications from covid19 and to have more difficult recoveries. They
Color, irrespective of party affiliation. We are one america. And lets try to act that way. And i close this briefing. Thank you. As that herring comes to a close, lawmakers discussing how the Veterans Affairs department, this is a live hearing getting under way now on cspan 3. If covid19 turned into a pandemic and portions of the United States Health Care System broke down the va may need to come back and ask for additional funds and since then congress has appropriated 17. 2 billion for vhas covid19 Pandemic Response and i was glad to help advocate for that funding. Now im not sure that many of us here on the dais know what to expect during that february hearing nor did we fully grasp the enormity of the Public Health challenges americans would soon face from the pandemic. This is largely because the administration failed to recognize these risks and communicate them to the American Public in advance of the crisis. Here we are a little more than three months later and exactly 90 days
Other Department Officials testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee on the agencys response to the coronavirus pandemic. Secretary wilkie provided an update on the care the v. A. Has provided through the pandemic and talked about some of the challenges moving forward. This is 2. 5 hours. A military briefing for a full year. When my dad was the artillery commander, they asked the second airborne to come visit. He was troubled. So i have touched royalty. Secretary wilkie is here for important testimony. Do i have the mic on . I can officially call the subcommittee on military construction, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies to order. I would like to welcome secretary wilkie, who is our witness this morning, joining us. Since this is our first hearing with some numbers participating remotely, i would like to begin by offering a brief explanation of how it will work, in order to benefit both members and the public. First, this hearing room has been configured to maintain th