More than 3,000,000 Americans have contracted coronavirus. Almost 133,000 have died from it. Here in Mississippi, we’re seeing the third highest rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country. And all I can think is: Where are our leaders?

As more Mississippians and Americans continue to contract and even lose their lives to this dangerous virus, this administration has completely dropped the ball on any federal pandemic response. In fact, they’re instead pressuring states to reopen our children’s schools without following CDC recommendations, threatening to pull federal funding if they refuse.

The only way we beat this thing is by working together and remaining diligent. We need more access to testing and testing equipment. We need more resources for our hospitals and health care workers. We need more financial relief for essential workers and their families. Yesterday, I called for a statewide requirement to wear masks out in public here in Mississippi.

If this administration won’t get its act together and create a united effort to stop the surging number of new cases taking our country by storm, then we need our leaders in the House and Senate to step up and get it done.

Add your name to my petition and join me in calling on Congress to pass additional COVID-19 relief as soon as possible.

There’s no excuse for America to fall so far behind in fighting this pandemic. These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. People’s lives are on the line each and every day that our leaders fail to act. Let’s put pressure on them to do something about it, and fast.

Thanks for all you do.

— Mike