“In less than a year since the first American died of COVID-19, more than 400,000 of our fellow Americans have now lost their lives to this deadly disease. That number represents one of the worst failures in public health policy in our history. But it also represents the hundreds of thousands of families who lost loved ones and will carry the pain of that loss for years to come. We owe it to them and to all Americans to do everything possible to stop the spread of the virus and bring down the infection and fatality rates as we work to deploy the new vaccines. 

“President-elect Biden has announced a plan to vaccinate as many as 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office. He will bring a new approach, one based on prioritizing science, listening to public health experts, and offering full transparency to the American people. He has already presented the nation with his American Recovery Plan, which includes $1.9 trillion in emergency relief aid to support communities, assist families, and fund vaccination and testing efforts. The House is committed to acting quickly on recovery efforts and will continue to do our part to ensure that the federal government is meeting its commitment to the American people during this time of crisis. I look forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration to put our nation on the right path toward defeating this virus and building back better from this pandemic.

“As we remember those who died from COVID-19, let us honor their memory by redoubling our efforts to save lives. The new vaccines are here, but it will still take months before they will be deployed broadly enough to make it safe to reopen and return to normal. That’s why we all need to do our part until then by wearing masks, socially distancing, staying home when possible, and washing hands."