(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) today joined Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) and more than 85 House Democrats in calling on the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to require the use of masks, gloves, eyewear, and any PPE that may be appropriate for transportation workers, frontline Federal employees, and the passengers they interact with.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to underscore the importance of wearing masks when social distancing is not possible. However, I have become increasingly concerned to see the alarming lack of masks and other PPE being worn by essential and frontline workers in our nation’s airports and other transportation hubs,” said Rep. Rush.
“Given that social distancing is logistically impossible for many of our nation’s transportation workers, it is absolutely critical that these workers wear the necessary equipment in order to protect themselves, their families, and the passengers they are encountering. That’s why today, I am calling on DOT and DHS to protect our nation’s frontline transportation employees, and their passengers, by requiring the use of masks, gloves, eyewear, and any other PPE by transportation workers, frontline Federal employees, and passengers.
“If we are going to weather the COVID-19 storm, we must ensure that no employee is penalized or endangered while continuing to perform their essential job duties during this global pandemic.”
A copy of the letter can be found here.
The following Members of Congress signed onto the letter:
Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (D-N.C.)
Ami Bera, M.D. (D-Calif.)
Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Ala.)
Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.)
Julia Brownley (D-Calif.)
Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.)
André Carson (D-Ind.)
Ed Case (D-Hawaii)
Joaquin Castro (D-Texas)
Judy Chu (D-Calif.)
David N. Cicilline (D-R.I.)
Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (D-Calif.)
Wm. Lacy Clay (D-Mont.)
Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Mo.)
Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)
J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.)
Jim Costa (D-Calif.)
Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.)
Susan A. Davis (D-Calif.)
Diana DeGette (D-Colo.)
Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.)
Val Butler Demings (D-Fla.)
Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.)
Veronica Escobar (D-Texas)
Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.)
Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.)
Bill Foster (D-Ill.)
Lois Frankel (D-Fla.)
Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii)
Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-Ill.)
Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas)
Al Green (D-Texas)
Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.)
Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.)
Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas)
Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. (D-Ga.)
Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio)
William R. Keating (D-Mass.)
Joseph P. Kennedy, III (D-Mass.)
Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)
Ron Kind (D-Wis.)
John B. Larson (D-Conn.)
Brenda L. Lawrence (D-Mich.)
Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)
John Lewis (D-Ga.)
Alan S. Lowenthal (D-Calif.)
Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.)
Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.)
A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.)
James P. McGovern (D-Mass.)
Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.)
Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.)
Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.)
Grace Meng (D-N.Y.)
Gwen Moore (D-Wis.)
Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)
Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)
Joe Neguse (D-Colo.)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)
Donald M. Payne Jr. (D-N.J.)
Dean Phillips (D-Minn.)
Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)
Katie Porter (D-Calif.)
Jamie Raskin (D-M.D.)
Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.)
Max Rose (D-N.Y.)
Tim Ryan (D-Ohio)
José E. Serrano (D-N.Y.)
Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.)
Donna E. Shalala (D-Fla.)
Albio Sires (D-N.J.)
Adam Smith (D-Wash.)
Darren Soto (D-Fla.)
Thomas R. Suozzi (D-N.Y.)
Mark Takano (D-Calif.)
Dina Titus (D-Nev.)
Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)
Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.)
David Trone (D-M.D.)
Juan Vargas (D-Calif.)
Marc A. Veasey (D-Texas)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)
Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.)
Susan Wild (D-Pa.)
John A. Yarmuth (D-Ky.)
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