SANDERS, KHANNA REINTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO GIVE EVERY AMERICAN LIFESAVING N95 MASKS

Press Release

January 13, 2022 -- As the world enters the third year of the coronavirus pandemic, with Omicron surging and cases skyrocketing, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), with more than 50 of their Democratic colleagues in the Senate and House, reintroduced lifesaving legislation to manufacture and distribute highly-protective N95 masks to every person in America.

Under the Sanders-Khanna Masks for All Act -- first introduced in 2020 and developed in consultation with health experts including Andy Slavitt, current COVID-19 advisor to President Biden and the former Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under President Obama -- every person in the U.S. would receive a free package of three N95 respirator masks. This includes individuals who are experiencing homelessness or living in group settings such as prisons, shelters, college dorms, and assisted living facilities, as well as all workers in health settings, from administrative and janitorial, to food service, doctors, and nurses.

39 House members co-sponsored the Masks for All Act including Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Cori Bush (MO-01), André Carson (IN-07), Troy A. Carter (LA-02), David Cicilline (RI-01), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Jim Costa (CA-16), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), John Larson (CT-01), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Grace Meng (NY-06), Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Marie Newman (IL-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Peter Welch (VT-AL), Nikema Williams (GA-05).

"This is a crisis and our response must meet the moment. If we can afford a $778 billion defense budget, we can afford to send N95 masks to every American to keep people safe as Omicron cases spike," said Rep. Khanna. "The science is clear: while surgical and high-quality reusable face masks have been effective for preventing the spread of past COVID-19 variants, N95 masks provide maximum protection against the Omicron variant and are necessary at this stage of the pandemic. We can save tens of thousands of lives by simply making the equipment people need free and easily accessible. If we're asking folks to wear a mask, it's on us to provide one."

"As we face the rapidly spreading omicron variant, we should remember that not all face masks are created equal," said Senator Sanders. "Congress must demand the mass production and distribution of N-95 masks, the most effective way to stop the spread of the Covid virus. It is an absolute scandal that in the richest country in the history of the world, high-quality masks are not more readily available to frontline workers, health care workers, and the American people. We are proposing that we do what our public health experts and scientists say we must do: provide all of our people with high-quality, N95 masks without cost, which could prevent death and suffering and save huge amounts of health care dollars."

"Masks save lives. As we face highly contagious coronavirus variants, it's absolutely critical that every American has access to high-quality, protective N95 and KN95 masks to keep themselves and their loved ones safe," said Rep. Trahan. "I'm proud to join my colleagues in pushing for this critical, commonsense legislation to ensure all Americans have the best opportunity possible to protect their health."

"We're facing the most contagious COVID variant yet and everyone needs access to the best protection available," said Rep. Watson Coleman. "Along with vaccines and testing, N95 masks are one of the best tools we have for curbing the spread of the virus. The Masks for All Act will ensure that all Americans, regardless of income level, have the resources to keep themselves, their families, and their neighbors safe."

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