John,

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the news that President Trump and several prominent government officials have tested positive for COVID-19.

The multiple senators with COVID-19 are able to quarantine without concern about losing their jobs, because the Senate is closing to accommodate their health needs. But instead, they’re considering breaking their own quarantine rules to push through the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett.

The Senate’s top priority should be making sure that caregiving families across the country have the same access to care that they do.

Send a letter to your member of Congress now and tell them to do their jobs and pass a relief bill for families across the U.S.

Amid these diagnoses, and as President Trump has returned to the White House, it’s worth noting how differently COVID treatment works for the wealthy and well-connected than for regular families.

When a working person is exposed to COVID, they are expected to quarantine to keep others safe, even if that means missing out on a paycheck because they don’t have paid leave or sick days. Senators who have tested positive for COVID should do the same thing - quarantine to protect others - and then return to Washington after they’ve tested negative to pass additional COVID relief, not push forward a judicial nomination.

Working people sick with COVID have had to wait for treatment in crowded hospitals, and were denied the opportunity to see their families, even in their final days. Pregnant people gave birth wearing masks, without their partners for support. We have all made immense sacrifices during this pandemic to protect each other, and we expect the same from our president and members of Congress.

Our elected officials should model how to take COVID-19 seriously: quarantine, and keep others, including the care workers in their lives, safe. Then, they should prioritize passing a bill that lets the rest of us have the same level of care and recovery time.

Tell your members of Congress to pass relief for seniors, people with disabilities, and family caregivers in need.

Relief for all of us is long overdue, and workers and caregiving families are struggling without the access to healthcare, time off, and child care that our elected officials have.

With care,

Beth Shipp
Managing Director, Caring Across Generations