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Our government bears no blame for the fact that Covid-19 started, but it could have done more to protect the public from this peril. In time, we should examine what errors have been made and determine how to avoid repeating them. With Republican Congressman John Katko of New York, I filed legislation to create a bipartisan commission in 2021 that would identify lessons learned and recommend concrete steps the US should take to better prepare for and respond to a future pandemic.
Instead, leaders must concentrate on the current calamity. While one common narrative is that Congress and the executive branch have risen to the challenge, the actual story is more complex and less charitable.
But we shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back too much. The reality is that American families and businesses are getting some help, but not the support they truly need to endure this crucible. That’s because some of my Republican colleagues, in concert with the Trump administration, whittled down key parts of these bills. Notably, my fellow Democrats didn’t always cover themselves in glory either, pushing partisan priorities that had little connection to the crisis.
Two examples illustrate the point.
I realize that, in divided government, compromise is the currency of the realm. I also recognize that Republicans did assent, however grudgingly, to so-called big government policies in these recent bills that they never would have accepted in less troubled times. It’s as if they wriggled one arm out of their ideological straitjacket but won’t try to extricate the rest of their body.
In a crisis of this magnitude, when our constituents’ very lives and livelihoods are on the line, Republicans don’t deserve points for partial progress. Big, bold action is required. Timid and tentative steps won’t cut it.
In Congress, we’ve begun work on additional legislation to combat the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. It should fill out the half-measures in earlier bills, starting by expanding paid leave and rounding out the employee retention credit.
Beyond that, our work should be guided by two broad principles. First, Covid-19 is, above all, a threat to public health — and will only be defeated through science and medicine. We must spare no expense to expand testing, develop anti-viral treatments, create a vaccine, assist hospitals, protect our doctors, nurses and other frontline workers and rapidly manufacture and distribute critical equipment like ventilators.
Second, because necessary measures taken to slow the spread of Covid-19 have spawned an economic crisis, we should do everything possible to support American workers and businesses of all sizes. They are being buffeted by forces beyond their control, through no fault of their own.
When contemplating how best to provide relief, Congress’s mantra should be “swift, simple and sufficient.” Wherever possible, direct payments to individuals and businesses should be preferred to complicated funding arrangements that involve too many steps, too many participants and too much red tape. Otherwise, federal aid may arrive a dollar short and a day late. Time is not on our side.
How Congress responds over the coming months will be the ultimate test of our leadership. History will judge us on whether our actions were effective, not whether our intentions were noble. Only results matter. To save the country we love, we must fight this fire with everything we’ve got.
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