Title: Expressing appreciation and support for essential employees with disabilities during the current pandemic, and beyond.
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
This resolution recognizes essential employees with disabilities for their efforts during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 159 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 159

   Expressing appreciation and support for essential employees with 
         disabilities during the current pandemic, and beyond.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 2021

  Mr. Morelle (for himself and Ms. Sherrill) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing appreciation and support for essential employees with 
         disabilities during the current pandemic, and beyond.

Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the entire Nation but has 
        disproportionately impacted people with disabilities, particularly 
        people of color with disabilities, who are significantly over-
        represented among the victims of this deadly virus;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the need for essential services to 
        continue even in areas where most businesses and government buildings 
        are closed;
Whereas people with disabilities often work in the types of businesses 
        identified as essential during the pandemic, such as grocery stores, 
        retail distribution centers, and health care facilities;
Whereas employees with disabilities also provide essential services fulfilling 
        local, State, and Federal contracts in locations across the United 
        States and its territories including government buildings, hospitals, 
        military bases, airports, call centers, highway rest stops, private 
        nonprofit businesses supporting individuals with disabilities, and 
        numerous other locations;
Whereas many of these essential employees are supported by disability service 
        providers that provide training, job coaching, transportation, and other 
        needed supports to help these employees in performing this essential 
        work;
Whereas people with disabilities have continued to perform this essential work 
        even though it sometimes increased their risk of exposure to the deadly 
        COVID-19 virus;
Whereas the essential work performed during the pandemic has included providing 
        goods and services that were critical to the public health response to 
        the crisis, including--

    (1) manufacturing and delivering thousands of critical products that 
are strengthening the Nation's COVID-19 response, including personal 
protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, cleaning products and 
disinfectants, first aid kits, exam gloves, toilet paper, and more to 
support hospitals, health care professionals, first responders, the United 
States military, and governments at all levels;

    (2) provisioning the United States Navy Hospital Ships Comfort and 
Mercy that provided emergency care in Los Angeles and New York to free up 
civilian hospitals to focus on COVID-19 patients;

    (3) supporting Federal and State efforts to establish pop-up hospitals;

    (4) maintaining offices and providing other services in local, State, 
and Federal buildings where vital work is being performed;

    (5) providing deep cleaning and sanitizing services in hospitals and 
other health care facilities;

    (6) providing call center and technical support to State and Federal 
entities, including operating crisis hotlines and call centers to process 
the surge in State unemployment claims;

    (7) sourcing and providing urgently needed PPE;

    (8) providing custodial services at military installations to slow the 
spread of COVID-19 and protect military personnel from exposure to the 
virus thus shielding our combat readiness; and

    (9) working in essential businesses such as grocery stores, retail, and 
restaurants that have continued to supply the Nation with food and other 
essential supplies throughout the pandemic;

Whereas the essential employees with disabilities who perform these jobs play a 
        central and invaluable role in protecting the United States and its 
        territories in fighting the pandemic;
Whereas this essential workforce has continued to perform its regular duties and 
        more throughout the pandemic;
Whereas this essential workforce is vital to the economy of the United States 
        and its territories;
Whereas competitive, integrated employment is vital to the personal economies 
        and well-being of the essential workforce; and
Whereas these essential employees with disabilities were essential before the 
        pandemic and will continue to be essential after the pandemic has passed 
        into history: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) thanks essential employees with disabilities for their 
        efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic;
            (2) recognizes--
                    (A) the essential work performed by individuals 
                with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic;
                    (B) that it is in the national interest to provide 
                equality of opportunity, full participation, 
                independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for 
                people with disabilities; and
                    (C) the importance of ensuring that people with 
                disabilities have opportunities to engage in 
                competitive integrated employment; and
            (3) recognizes and thanks these essential employees for the 
        vital contribution to this country they have made in the past 
        and will make in the future.
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