Chairman Scott Statement Honoring Fallen Nurses
WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement on International Nurses Day in remembrance of nurses who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Today’s remembrance of nurses who have died from COVID-19 underscores the federal government’s failure to protect the professionals who have cared for us and our loved ones throughout the pandemic. More than 480,000 health care workers have contracted COVID-19 and more than 1,600 have tragically died, including more than 400 registered nurses. Many of these health care professionals would still be with us today if the Trump Administration had established an enforceable workplace safety standard to protect workers from preventable COVID-19 infections, which we first requested on January 30, 2020.
“Unfortunately, more than 15 months later, and more than two months after the March 15 deadline set by President Biden, OSHA has yet to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard that remains necessary to protect workers from exposure to the virus. While the administration continues to drag its feet, the cost of inaction continues to mount for those on the frontlines.
“So today, as we honor the service of our nation’s nurses and grieve for those we have lost, I once again call on the Biden Administration to finalize an Emergency Temporary Standard that will establish the protections our health care workers need and deserve.”
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