The Democrats were back in session on Saturday to vote on an "emergency" measure to "save the post office." The measure, which provides $25 billion to the U.S. Postal Service, passed by a vote of 257 to 150, including 26 Republican votes. The vote came on the heels of the Democrats' conspiracy theory that President Trump wants to hold the USPS hostage to improve his chances of winning his re-election in November. 

Whatever "threat" Trump posed to the Postal Service was upended by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) during a Senate hearing with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

Meanwhile, the GOP put forward a group of bills that had the potential to actually improve people's lives that included more funding for testing and vaccines, the Paycheck Protection Program, and police departments.

Here are a few examples:

The Protecting Americans' Health Act, introduced by Michael Burgess (R-TX), appropriates additional emergency resources to continue the rapid development, manufacturing, purchase, and distribution of vaccines, therapeutics, and new testing technologies to overcome COVID-19; additional funds for the strategic national stockpile and to shore up domestic manufacturing and supply chains; and additional funds for health care providers including Community Health Centers to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.

A PPP measure, presented by Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), amends the Paycheck Protection Program to allow businesses still suffering economic hardship to receive a second PPP loan.

Finally, Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) put forward funding of police departments for the development of and training on the use of body cameras. It also reauthorizes critical law enforcement grant programs at the Department of Justice. 

But as predicted, the Democrats weren't interested.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was among those wondering why USPS funding is suddenly an issue for the Democrats, when he offered more funding a few weeks ago.

The president had the same question.

Originally published here. 

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, recently finished speaking on the House floor about H.R. 8015 - Delivering for America Act does not solve the manufactured crisis House Democrats have created for the U.S. Postal Service.

As Prepared for Delivery:

H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act is a rushed, unnecessary piece of legislation that will not address the core problems of the United States Postal Service. This bill appropriates a 25 billion dollar bailout using emergency supplemental spending, removing it from the previously agreed bipartisan budget agreement numbers, and prohibits the Postal Service from making several important reforms until next year at the earliest. If this bill is intended to improve the efficiency or effectiveness of the Postal Service, it totally misses the mark.

There is no doubt that the United State Postal Service is in trouble; every member of this chamber, both Republican and Democrat, should be deeply concerned about the precarious position in which the Postal Service finds itself. Despite what some partisan narratives claim, the Postal Service’s current operational pains have been festering since the Great Recession in 2008. 

Since 2007, total mail volumes have fallen year on year as American consumers and businesses choose digital communication over letters and mailed advertising. Over the same period, the number of addresses requiring delivery and retiree obligations have continued to grow. In simpler terms, revenues have fallen and costs have risen for over a decade. 

COVID-19’s impact on the economy is only exacerbating this situation: the USPS lost 2.2 billion dollars in the second quarter of this year. H.R. 8015 kicks the can down the road and forces the Postal Service to continue to sustain these financial losses. Without proper reforms to modernize the Postal Service, Congress should expect its fiscal health to worsen.

That being said, the Postal Service will not collapse overnight. The Postal Service has informed Congress it has enough cash on hand to remain solvent through August 2021 and Congress already provided an additional lifeline by raising the Postal Service’s loan authority by 10 billion dollars in the CARES Act. Instead of voting on a rushed, partisan bill, the members of this chamber should work to fix the core problem.

Congress has time to work through the proper committees to provide the reforms necessary to revive this essential service. I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 8015 and to work together in finding a meaningful, lasting fix for the U.S. Postal Service.

I yield back.

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, called on House Democrats to focus on providing solutions for Americans rather than a manufactured crisis for the U.S. Postal Service. 

As Prepared for Delivery:

There is a sudden sense of urgency to address the financial stability of the postal service. Where was the sense of urgency from House Democratic Leadership at the start of this pandemic? The postal service issues did not surface only this week, they have been ongoing for years; however, the postal service will not go bankrupt tomorrow. You have called us here to vote on an issue that you have blown out of proportion.

I called for hearings on the coronavirus at the Energy and Commerce Committee in February and my requests were dismissed. Congress has since provided support in the form of funding for vaccines, testing, and more. We should continue to support our nation’s pandemic response in these ways, which is why I have introduced legislation in line with the Senate.

We should come together to provide our country with resources to fight this invisible enemy. House Democratic Leadership does not seem up to this task.

My legislation provides $29 billion for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to develop additional medical countermeasures and vaccines. A safe and effective vaccine is the strongest arrow we could have in our quiver to help society return to normal. Importantly, my bill would provide $2 billion for the Strategic National Stockpile and $20 billion for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority for medical countermeasures. The House continues to waste its time on partisan bills that will be dead on arrival in the Senate instead of delivering results for Americans.

There are commonsense, bipartisan ways to help our nation respond to this coronavirus, but House Democrats have turned their backs on the needs of America. I urge my fellow Members to vote against the Previous Question. 

Democrats blocked bills regarding coronavirus relief Saturday after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the chamber back to debate and vote on U.S. Postal Service legislation.

Pelosi brought the House back into session from recess to vote on a bill that would block the Trump administration from making additional changes to the Postal Service. Republicans took the opportunity, however, to introduce three bills addressing coronavirus vaccine funding, amending the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and increasing funding to police departments nationwide.

“We could come together and provide our country with some of the critical resources necessary to fight this novel coronavirus,” Rep. Michael Burgess said. “Unfortunately, the House democratic leadership does not acknowledge or seem to even be curious as to whether or not they’re up to the task.”

The Texas Republican introduced a bill that would provide resources for the ongoing development of a coronavirus vaccine and for the subsequent distribution of the vaccine. The federal government formed Operation Warp Speed, a partnership between several health agencies and private pharmaceutical companies devoted to producing a vaccine by 2021, as the virus quickly spread in March.

“House Democratic leadership has turned their backs on the needs of America,” Burgess said on the House floor.

Ohio Rep. Steve Chabot sponsored a bill that would make businesses that received a PPP loan eligible to receive a second disbursement. The original PPP program, which was included in the March Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, expired on Aug. 8. (RELATED: USPS Faces Financial, Logistical Hurdles In Run Up To Expected Election Mail-In Ballot Surge)

Rep. Pete Stauber introduced legislation that would provide funding to police departments that would go towards training and body cameras. Police departments have faced scrutiny after the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody after an officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.

“We are back in Washington for less than 12 hours,” the Minnesota Republican said on the House floor. “It is embarrassing that while we could be working on vaccine funding, saving small businesses, and justice reform, the speaker will us out and Americans will once again be wondering ‘where are our leaders?'”

The Postal Service and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, have faced scrutiny after the agency began implementing internal changes, including changes to overtime policy and the removal of letter sorting machines. Those decisions have been criticized as attempts to slow mail in the run up to the upcoming presidential election, which is expected to have a record number of mail-in ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I am calling upon the House to return to session later this week to vote on Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Maloney’s ‘Delivering for America Act,’ which prohibits the Postal Service from implementing any changes to operations or level of service it had in place on January 1, 2020,” Pelosi said in a Aug. 16 statement.

The Postal Service suspended further policy changes Tuesday, DeJoy announced.

“Retail hours at Post Offices will not change,” DeJoy said. “Mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes will remain where they are. No mail processing facilities will be closed. And we reassert that overtime has, and will continue to be, approved as needed.”

Originally published here. 

House Democrats blocked three bills on Saturday that would have provided funding for law enforcement, aid to small businesses, and more funding for potential coronavirus treatments.

Rep. Rob Woodall (R-GA) introduced a motion to defeat the previous question, which would have allowed for the consideration of three House Republican bills to better Americans’ lives.

The first bill, sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), would have provided emergency funding to continue the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and building up a strategic stockpile of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies. The bill would have also helped secure America’s manufacturing and supply chains.

The second bill, sponsored by Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), would have extended the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and allowed small businesses to receive a second PPP loan.

The third bill, introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN), would have provided additional funding for police departments, better training, and body cameras.

House Democrats shot down the measure, with 230 votes in favor of advancing the previous question, and 171 votes in favor of blocking the previous question and having the House consider the GOP votes.

Two hundred and thirty Democrats voted to block the House Republican bills to fund the police, aid small businesses suffering through the coronavirus pandemic, and help develop vaccines and therapeutics to treat patients with the coronavirus. One hundred and seventy Republicans voted in favor of considering the GOP bills.

Woodall said on the House floor on Saturday that unlike the House Democrats postal funding bill, his colleagues’ legislation can make it through the House, Senate, and get signed by the president.

Woodall said that his colleagues’ legislation could:

… go through the Senate, can go to the president’s desk and make a real difference and help the American people. Dealing with important issues like health care, like relief, like folks suffering from COVID, the COVID economic crisis, and our law enforcement reform activities.

Woodall said that the House Democrats’ postal funding bill “is going nowhere.”

Originally published here. 

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, was joined by Department of Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette for an annual Energy Summit. 

"This pandemic has highlighted how our national energy resources are under attack,” Burgess said. “It is important that as more and more Texans are having to stay home, they are able to know the different ways they can save on energy and lower their bills. This summit with Secretary Brouillette focused on steps families could take to save money on energy costs. I appreciate the time the Secretary provided to hold a virtual discussion about innovation, consumer choice, and the Department of Energy’s work in energy efficiency."

History of the summit: 

• Started in 2005 to highlight the importance of individuals taking responsibility and doing things to reduce their energy usage – efficiency and conservation.
• Each summit focuses on steps families and businesses can take save money on energy costs.
• Local Texas-26 Chambers assist with promoting this event. 

Congressman Burgess comes in at 54:59.

On Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) explained why the Democratic National Convention is showing more enthusiasm for anti-Trump speeches than for ones supporting Joe Biden.

"This has been their game plan really right from the get go. They know they don't have anything to compete in the field of ideas, in the marketplace of ideas with this President. So let's tap into the fact that some people don't like him and see if we can maximize that part of the story. And that's what they have clearly bought into. And you look at the polls, the enthusiasm for the vote for President Trump on the Republican side is at an all time high. The enthusiasm for a vote for Joe Biden on the Democratic side is an all time low. But what they do have going for them is the enthusiasm to vote against Donald Trump is at an all time high on the Democratic side. So that is what they're trying to exploit."

Published here. 

Washington, D.C. – A pandemic should not paralyze Congress from prioritizing the education of the next generation. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) penned an op-ed about the importance of providing students the opportunity to attend school in-person this fall. 

More than our physical health is being affected by this novel coronavirus. With the nation moving towards virtual living to continue social distancing, we are risking under-educating a generation. Children need the option to have an in-person education. There are lessons and experiences a student receives in the classroom that cannot be replicated via technology.

Distance learning is good, homeschooling is good, but not every student will succeed in those environments. Families need to have the option to send their child safely to school since a child only gets to experience the first grade once. My children are no longer school age, but my youngest is still in the classroom teaching middle schoolers.

It is critical to evaluate the risks of having a child return to in-person learning alongside the benefits. Besides the home, school ranks second in influencing a student’s well-being and health. Schools offer so much more than academic instruction. Many students rely on daily meals, a safe environment, one-on-one counseling services, development of social and emotional skills, and physical activity. These are things that cannot be dialed in.

Parents are rightfully concerned for the safety of their children and their risk for contracting this coronavirus. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), school-aged children have a slight chance of contracting COVID-19. While researchers are still learning more about this new virus, the CDC reported in July that less than 7 percent of positive cases were for someone age 18 or under. The same study indicates that a child is more likely to be at risk of catching the flu.

When schools decided to go virtual in March, it highlighted the disparities within our broadband infrastructure. This posed a problem for students living in rural areas with limited internet access. Congress has recently prioritized broadband deployment, but these efforts must accelerate to provide adequate funding to expand broadband availability.

What happens if a child does not have access to in-person learning and no broadband connection? The lack of in-person instruction could lead to severe educational inequality. Families in low-income communities cannot afford to hire tutors or ensure each child has access to their own computer with reliable internet access to participate in virtual learning. Having at-home virtual learning also comes with the distractions of everyday life. Children need a focused environment to thrive.

Beyond the basic needs of these students, students with disabilities lack the tailored learning environment provided by special educators. It is impossible to virtually replicate the hands-on personal attention required to educate these children. Parents cannot turn into the special education teachers their child needs overnight to provide them with the occupational, physical, or speech therapy they would receive in the classroom. I understand this from my own firsthand experience since my oldest child is hearing impaired, and it was thanks to the teachers at the local public schools who changed her life by teaching her sign language. On top of that, virtual learning is especially difficult for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, have poor vision/blind, or may have another learning disorder.

Natural disasters have not previously rendered Congress immune from ensuring the education of the next generation. This pandemic should be no different. After Hurricane Katrina displaced thousands of families, Congress created a new “Emergency Impact Aid” funding program for school districts that received these students. This program provided grants to school districts and private schools based on each displaced student’s enrollment for the 2005-2006 school year. These funds allowed students to receive a quality education in a new place during a time of crisis. Perhaps this program could be used to serve students who need in-person education this fall?

A more innovative approach is already included in the Senate’s HEALS Act through Education Freedom Scholarships. These scholarships allow families to fund their child’s private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, and other educational needs. The HEALS Act provides emergency funding for these scholarships as seed money and would give control of K-12 education back to parents. As a co-sponsor of the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, the House version of this concept, I believe expanding parental education opportunities is one of the best ways to improve in-person learning for students.

When it comes to whether or not to send students back to the classroom this fall, we must reject one-size-fits-all solutions and focus on ensuring that each student is able to receive the education that best fits their personal needs.

McDowell: Why couldn’t the Democrats and Republicans come together on this much needed stimulus?

Burgess: Remember, this has been tied up for months by Nancy Pelosi. You want to look at where the problem is? That’s where the problem is and very clearly the current speaker subscribes to the old [saying]: never let a good crisis go to waste. She saw an opportunity in May, “Hey, we can get every single thing we’ve ever wanted as liberal Democrats. Let’s put it all in one bill and put it out there and dare them not to vote on it. That’s what they did. The shame of it is: we’ve worked together on all of the other response bills up until that time, but this one was different. They overreached and now they won’t come back to the table. I think the President and the jobs numbers are going to combine to force people back to the table.