As America Passes Tragic COVID-19 Milestone, Republican Leaders Obstruct Relief
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shin Inouye, [email protected], 202.869.0398
WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement as the nation passes the tragic milestone of having lost 200,000 lives to COVID-19:
“As our nation mourns the tragic loss of 200,000 lives due to COVID-19, one would expect our political leaders to be relentlessly focused on stopping the spread of this deadly disease and providing relief to those in need.
“But more than four months after the House passed the HEROES Act, the Republican-controlled Senate refuses to move forward with providing necessary relief to the people of our nation. This is a dereliction of duty. Instead, they are working at full speed with the president to confirm someone to our Supreme Court in an effort to take away health care from millions of people during a pandemic, curb voting rights, and continue the status quo of rolling back civil rights and protections.
“This is a matter of life or death for marginalized communities. People of color have disproportionately died from COVID-19 because of systemic racism. We need relief now. The Senate must take quick action to address the suffering. We need leaders to put our lives and livelihoods first.”
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.
