Sponsors urge Congress to meet safety and equipment needs
Building upon the third coronavirus relief bill that was signed into law last week, Rep. Salud Carbajal introduced a bipartisan resolution, H. Res. 913, thanking workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis and reaffirming Congress’responsibility to meet the safety needs of these workers by providing ample resources and protective equipment.
“From health care workers and food service providers to postal workers, first responders and farmworkers—people across the nation are putting their safety on the line to keep our communities healthy and functioning in the face of pandemic,” said Rep. Carbajal. “Not only do these heroes deserve our gratitude, they also deserve the commitment of Congress and the entire federal government that we will keep working to ensure they have the equipment and support they need.
“My bipartisan resolution urges Congress to recommit to frontline workers and do everything in our power to bring them more personal protective equipment and stronger safety protections. These workers are essential to every community and to our nation’s economy—we must treat them as such and uplift them in every way we can. I am grateful to all of the frontline workers serving our communities.”
As laid out in the resolution, frontline workers of the coronavirus pandemic include health care workers, emergency responders, grocery and food service workers, farmworkers, public works employees, postal and delivery workers, and numerous others.
This bipartisan piece of legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Lieu (D-CA-33), García (D-IL-04), Costa (D-CA-16), Sánchez (D-CA-38), Cisneros (D-CA-39), Kelly (R-PA-16), Brown (D-MD-04), Lofgren (D-CA-19), Neguse (D-CO-02), Stevens (D-MI-11), Hill (R-AK-02), Velázquez (D-NY-07), Shalala (D-FL-27), Crist (D-FL-13), Garcia (D-TX-29), Bacon (R-NE-02), Soto (D-FL-09), Suozzi (D-NY-03), Rose (D-NY-11), Mitchell (R-MI-10).
Last week, Congress passed and the president signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2.2 trillion bill that—among other provisions—invests $200 billion in hospitals, health systems and personal protective equipment. At present, hospitals across the country continue to grapple with a shortage of personal protective equipment including masks, gloves and other protective gear.
Read the full resolution here.
