III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 679 

Expressing appreciation and support for essential employees with disabilities 

or who are blind during the COVID–19 pandemic and beyond. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 10, 2020 

Mr. BRAUN (for himself, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. PERDUE, and Mr. SCOTT of 

South Carolina) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing appreciation and support for essential employees 

with disabilities or who are blind during the COVID– 

19 pandemic and beyond. 

Whereas, during the COVID–19 pandemic, it has been necessary for essential services to continue in areas where 

most businesses and government buildings are closed; 

Whereas the contracts for essential services arise under Federal, State, and local government programs that are intended, in part, to provide employment opportunities for 

individuals with disabilities or who are blind; 

Whereas many essential employees with disabilities or who 

are blind work through disability service providers that 

provide training, job coaches, transportation, and any 


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•SRES 679 IS 

other needed support to help those employees perform essential work; 

Whereas the essential work performed during the COVID–19 

pandemic includes— 

(1) provisioning the United States Navy hospital 

ships, Comfort and Mercy; 

(2) manufacturing and delivering thousands of critical products that strengthen the COVID–19 response of 

the United States and support hospitals, health care professionals, first responders, the United States military, 

and governments at all levels, including personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, cleaning products and disinfectants, first aid kits, exam gloves, and toilet paper; 

(3) supporting Federal and State efforts to establish 

pop-up hospitals; 

(4) assembling kits for the Army that are used to 

build COVID–19 treatment centers across the United 

States; 

(5) providing the United States military with critical 

products, including the helmets and uniforms soldiers 

wear every day as National Guard units are deployed 

around the United States; 

(6) performing custodial and commissary work, food 

services, and total facility management services on military bases across the United States and the territories of 

the United States; 

(7) maintaining offices and providing other services 

in Federal, State, and local government buildings where 

vital work is being performed, including— 

(A) Federal buildings in and around the District of Columbia, such as the Library of Congress, 

the congressional office buildings, the Mark Center, 

and the buildings that house the Federal Bureau of 


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•SRES 679 IS 

Investigation, the Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service, the Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and 

Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of State; 

(B) State buildings, such as State police barracks, State department of transportation operation 

centers, and State courthouses; and 

(C) numerous other locations across the United 

States and the territories of the United States; 

(8) with respect to services performed for the medical centers in the Department of Veterans Affairs— 

(A) providing deep-cleaning and sanitizing services; 

(B) operating switchboards; and 

(C) manufacturing prescription bottles, exam 

gloves, and other products; 

(9) providing call center and technical support to 

State and Federal entities; 

(10) operating crisis hotlines and call centers to 

process the surge in State unemployment claims; 

(11) sourcing and providing urgently needed personal protective equipment; 

(12) providing personal protective equipment for employees of the Bureau of the Census; 

(13) delivering 250 Federal medical stations under 

contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 

(14) leveraging sewing expertise to produce hundreds of thousands of cloth face masks for Federal customers, including the military and medical centers in the 

Department of Veterans Affairs, medical clinics, local 

businesses, and the general public; 


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•SRES 679 IS 

(15) increasing the availability of supplies and 

adapting Base Supply Centers to sell personal protective 

equipment and cleaning products to customers on military bases; 

(16) stepping up custodial efforts to— 

(A) address known COVID–19 incident locations; and 

(B) establish preventative measures to enable 

other essential employees, such as medical professionals and military personnel, to continue their 

service throughout the COVID–19 pandemic; 

(17) responding to dynamic changes in acquisition 

methods to meet the needs of Federal, State, and local 

government customers; 

(18) packaging food items and necessary supplies for 

ongoing work performed by Federal, State, and local government employees; and 

(19) hosting virtual support groups, donating items, 

and providing essential services in communities across 

the United States; 

Whereas the essential employees who perform these jobs, 

many of whom have disabilities or are blind, play a central and invaluable role in protecting the United States 

and the territories of the United States and fighting the 

COVID–19 pandemic; 

Whereas Congress and the Federal Government have recognized the importance of these jobs by passing laws that 

support hiring individuals with disabilities or who are 

blind; 

Whereas essential employees with disabilities or who are 

blind— 


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•SRES 679 IS 

(1) have continued to perform their regular duties 

and more throughout the COVID–19 pandemic; 

(2) are vital to the economy of the United States 

and the territories of the United States; and 

(3) were essential before the COVID–19 pandemic 

and will continue to be essential after the COVID–pandemic has passed into history; 

Whereas these jobs are vital to the personal finances and 

well-being of the individuals who perform them; and 

Whereas work opportunities to perform essential jobs during 

the COVID–19 pandemic arise under programs authorized by Congress or State and local legislatures: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the essential work performed by 

3 individuals with disabilities or who are blind during 

4 the COVID–19 pandemic; and 

5 (2) recognizes and thanks essential employees 

6 with disabilities or who are blind for— 

7 (A) their efforts throughout the COVID– 

8 19 pandemic; and 

9 (B) the vital contributions to the United 

10 States they have made in the past and will 

11 make in the future. 

Æ 


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