[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 130 (Monday, July 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S5061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Madam President, on a separate issue, we are at a pivotal moment in 
the fight against COVID-19. Thanks to the leadership of this 
administration, our Nation has had one of the most successful 
vaccination efforts in the world: 340 million doses of COVID-19 
vaccines have been administered in the United States, 80 percent of 
Americans over the age of 65 have been fully vaccinated--80 percent. 
That means the vast majority of our senior population is protected from 
being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19.
  Yet, at this moment, there is trouble on the horizon. Case numbers 
across the country are ticking back up. It is important to note why. 
The Delta variant is spreading like wildfire among unvaccinated people. 
I have heard quotes from some that it is a thousand times more 
transmissible than the original COVID-19. And it has quickly become the 
dominant strain of this virus in America.

  There is good news. The vaccines that we all have access to right now 
will stop the Delta variant in its tracks. They will save your life. 
With the spread of the Delta variant, the reality for Americans is 
quickly becoming: Get vaccinated or risk contracting a serious or 
deadly case of COVID-19.
  As Dr. Walensky, the Director of the CDC, said last week--and I quote 
her--``this is quickly becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.''
  Over the past week, we have started to see a renewed sense of urgency 
from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. They finally--
finally--become more vocal about dispelling disinformation about the 
vaccines. Even FOX News has begun airing public service announcements 
and encouraging viewers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. I 
applaud them for starting to join the chorus of scientific experts, 
health officials, and community leaders who have been calling on 
Americans to protect themselves and their loved ones, because it was 
only a few weeks ago when a couple prime-time hosts on FOX expressed 
their displeasure with me personally.
  I was alarmed, and said so on the floor of the Senate, by some of the 
ideas that Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham were pedaling. Their anti-
vax rhetoric, quite simply, put their viewers and the families of their 
viewers at risk. We can disagree on political issues, and I am sure we 
will continue to do so, but we shouldn't play political games with life 
and death when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines.
  We have seen a shift in tone recently. Some hosts on FOX, 
specifically Sean Hannity and Steve Doocy, now encourage their viewers 
to get vaccinated. At the very least, they call on them to consult with 
their doctors. It is a move in the right direction, but we ought to 
make it clear once and for all publicly, where we can, that those who 
are spreading this anti-vax rhetoric are literally risking the lives of 
our fellow Americans.
  We are seeing the good that comes from sharing the facts about 
vaccines and potential to save lives. As of yesterday, the 7-day 
average of newly vaccinated Americans is up nearly over one-third from 
last year week. Nearly 7 in 10 American adults have one dose of COVID 
vaccine. We need to keep it up.
  More than 610,000 of our family members and friends and neighbors in 
America have died from this disease--and millions more around the 
world. We have the power within our hands, with vaccines, to stop this 
pandemic. We all have to do our part.
  I want to take an opportunity to recognize something else. 
Disinformation is not the only reason why people are not getting 
vaccinated. Sadly, there is a long history of racial bias in our 
Nation's institutions, from education to housing, to healthcare. That 
history of racial bias has, understandably, led some Americans to 
question our institutions based on fear.
  Let me first say this: Trust has to be earned.
  We have a lot of work to do as a nation to address racial inequities 
in our healthcare system, like the fact that Black women are three 
times more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related 
complications. Acknowledging these inequities, doing something about 
them, is how we can build and regain trust. That is the work we have to 
do.
  President Biden's American Rescue Plan was an important investment in 
tackling health disparities. It increased funding for community 
outreach, expanded support for community health centers. It provided a 
$1 billion investment in the National Health Service Corps to help 
recruit more doctors, nurses, and other health professionals from 
communities of color. That was a provision that I added to the bill.
  At this moment, if you are still unvaccinated against COVID-19 and 
you have questions, reach out to a medical professional that you trust. 
Talk with your doctor, ask them whatever questions you wish, but make 
sure you have the facts on your side, because the sad truth is the 
pandemic has deepened the existing racial disparities in America.
  Last year, there was nearly a 3-year drop in life expectancy among 
Black and Brown Americans--3 years. Communities of color have been 
three times more likely to be hospitalized, twice as likely to die from 
COVID. We can end this cycle of sickness and despair, but we have got 
to stop the spread of the new variants. So please consult a medical 
professional and ask about getting vaccinated.