Cindy Carr, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the United States surpassed 200,000 known deaths from COVID-19, with thousands more Americans contracting the deadly virus each day. Yet, as millions struggle to protect their health, find work, and pay their bills, Senate Republicans have continued to reject passing a coronavirus relief bill for more than four months. At the same time, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has continued to hold confirmation votes for dozens of Donald Trump’s judicial nominees and is now promising a floor vote for Trump’s yet-to-be-named nominee for the Supreme Court before the end of the year.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“Across the country, we are continuing to experience unnecessary immeasurable loss. Millions of us have lost loved ones, and millions more are losing their livelihoods due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resounding failures of Donald Trump and his administration. There is no explanation or excuse for the needless suffering so many of us have faced as a result of the Trump Administration’s failure. Yet, even as our country crosses this staggeringly tragic threshold, Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell are ignoring our desperate pleas in their self-serving conquest to pack the courts with extreme ideologues that will compromise our democracy for decades.
“Each day that Mitch McConnell prioritizes Donald Trump’s judicial nominees over COVID relief bills is another day our friends and families are evicted from their homes, lose jobs, wait in line at food pantries, or pass away from this deadly virus. Enough is enough. Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump must prioritize our humanity rather than stripping away our rights.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.