Washington, D.C. - Today, Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement on the anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdowns. Rodgers called for forward-thinking and bipartisan leadership to restore, renew, and rebuild the American Dream.
“This has been a long year of uncertainty, fear, and isolation. Today, the American people are eager to safely restore our way of life, reopen the economy, and get their children back in school. With so many in despair, it’s time for hope and healing.
“While Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Joe Biden chose to go it alone on their hyper-partisan nearly $2 trillion ‘plan,’ I urge them to join us on the forward-thinking, bold, and bipartisan leadership that is needed for a strong American comeback. We should be working together to build on President Trump’s success in Operation Warp Speed and the unprecedented efforts of the private sector to usher in a new era of saving lives and curing diseases. We need to also address the mental health crisis and rising deaths of despair caused by the lockdowns.
“As one woman from Spokane told me, she’s seeing the destructive impact of the shutdown and isolation in our community-suicides, overdoses, and children in crisis. She pleaded for the lockdowns to end because ‘living life with the least restrictive alternatives is essential.’ She’s right. It’s time to reopen America’s economy so people have a purpose again. It’s about so much more than a paycheck. It’s about human dignity and trusting people to make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
“As the President marks this anniversary tonight, I urge him to lead with hope-not fear and misinterpreted science. Let’s work together to build on the achievements of Operation Warp Speed, stop deaths of despair, get people back to work, and students back in school immediately. All of these priorities are urgent to restore hope again. It’s what needs to happen for America to have any chance of winning the future."
NOTE: This morning, Leader Rodgers also urged for schools to reopen immediately. She said:
“Before the President’s address tonight, we should all be asking why isn’t more being done to reopen [our schools]. Just as the doctors wrote in USA Today, this is a human rights issue. Let’s open the doors of our schools and let our kids learn and thrive again."
Follow the science. Reopen schools. It’s an issue of human rights. pic.twitter.com/LPuK6ShX5d
- Energy & Commerce GOP (@HouseCommerce) March 11, 2021
