Members of congress advocate for coronavirus relief on behalf of those who have contracted the virus

Yahoo News Video
Updated

During a speech on the House floor, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., dedicated a coronavirus relief bill to her sister, who she said is “dying in a hospital” of COVID-19. Later Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., advocated for the passage of the legislation on behalf of a 5-year-old who died from the coronavirus.

Video Transcript

MAXINE WATERS: I not only rise in support of this legislation-- this, the Enhancement Act-- I also would like to rise in support of what we're doing for the Health Care Enhancement Act in this bill. And I'm going to take a moment to dedicate this legislation to my dear sister who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri right now, infected by the coronavirus.

RASHIDA TLAIB: This bill is only necessary because in the last bill, Republicans prioritized a half trillion dollar gift to corporations that turned around and laid off workers who bailed them out. Our people need us to prioritize public health and testing. And they need reoccurring monthly relief payments now. This is Skyler Herbert. You need to see her face, because there needs to be a human face this to this pandemic. She's five years old-- died from coronavirus.

Skyler loved dressing up and performing, and she loved and adored being in kindergarten. Her death should be a wake-up call that we must act in urgency. Her father, a firefighter, her mother, a police officer-- first responders and the amount of guilt that they feel because maybe they didn't have access to testing, and that's exactly why they're out there telling her story every single day. Please, let's act now in urgency to be--

- I yield the gentlelady an additional minute.

RASHIDA TLAIB: I urge my colleagues to please do more to save lives. It is immoral for us to walk away and take a month off when people-- our neighbors are dying and losing loved ones. So in memory of Skyler and in honor of her, please, let's expand public health funding and testing for everyone. Thank you so much.