Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, DC – While President Biden diverted COVID funds from being used to fight the pandemic, damaging our economy and the mental health of kids and seniors, Republican Leader on the House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) called for bipartisan solutions that address mental health, make access to telehealth permanent, open schools, and use COVID funds as intended.
Key excerpts from Rep. Brady’s remarks:
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. I agree that there is an opportunity for bipartisan work together on mental health and look forward to achieving that.
“I worry though, that President Biden’s Administration has bungled the pandemic, including diverting funding from fighting COVID, damaging our economy and the population’s mental health, and delaying vital reforms that would make access to telehealth permanent.
“Tragically, less than a dime of every dollar in Democrats’ $2 trillion, so-called ‘COVID stimulus’ went to COVID vaccines and defeating the virus.
[...]
“And despite having plenty of opportunity to make telehealth access permanent, I worry this Congress and this White House have only delayed consideration.
“The cost of the Administration’s failure on COVID has been suffering: that of our seniors living in isolation, our veterans struggling with post-combat mental health, and of America’s children.
“Veterans struggling with mental health issues have made ample use of telehealth. Last year, between January 2020 and 2021, the number of VA telehealth appointments increased eighteenfold.
“But it’s also so important to think of how we can help our kids. Much of what makes a rich, social environment for our children has been replaced with crippling isolation.
“Many schools and child care have still not returned to normal, which is only worsening learning loss and social isolation.
[...]
“I am frustrated. President Biden and Democrats in Congress have failed to address this in the $2 trillion so-called COVID relief package.
“It’s frustrating that many agencies have hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent COVID funds.
[...]
“Thirteen states and territories reported that they have used NONE of the funds for child care.
“Families would benefit if these dollars were used as intended or, better yet, repurposed to address the current mental health crisis.
[...]
“We have seen telehealth work. It has saved countless lives of seniors and those facing dire mental health challenges. It’s time we make this solution a permanent one.
“On the heels of a raging pandemic and a terrible recession, we know the mental health crisis is real. I believe we have the tools to fight it, and if we take a bipartisan approach to doing so, I’m confident we can achieve that.”
CLICK HERE to read Rep. Brady's full remarks as prepared for delivery.
“Tragically, less than a dime of every dollar in Democrats’ $2 trillion, so-called ‘COVID stimulus’ went to COVID vaccines and defeating the virus.
[...]
“And despite having plenty of opportunity to make telehealth access permanent, I worry this Congress and this White House have only delayed consideration.
“The cost of the Administration’s failure on COVID has been suffering: that of our seniors living in isolation, our veterans struggling with post-combat mental health, and of America’s children.
“Veterans struggling with mental health issues have made ample use of telehealth. Last year, between January 2020 and 2021, the number of VA telehealth appointments increased eighteenfold.
“But it’s also so important to think of how we can help our kids. Much of what makes a rich, social environment for our children has been replaced with crippling isolation.
“Many schools and child care have still not returned to normal, which is only worsening learning loss and social isolation.
[...]
“I am frustrated. President Biden and Democrats in Congress have failed to address this in the $2 trillion so-called COVID relief package.
“It’s frustrating that many agencies have hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent COVID funds.
[...]
“Thirteen states and territories reported that they have used NONE of the funds for child care.
“Families would benefit if these dollars were used as intended or, better yet, repurposed to address the current mental health crisis.
[...]
“We have seen telehealth work. It has saved countless lives of seniors and those facing dire mental health challenges. It’s time we make this solution a permanent one.
“On the heels of a raging pandemic and a terrible recession, we know the mental health crisis is real. I believe we have the tools to fight it, and if we take a bipartisan approach to doing so, I’m confident we can achieve that.”
CLICK HERE to read Rep. Brady's full remarks as prepared for delivery.
