As coronavirus cases surge to record levels, the United States Senate continues its second week of vacation. John Hickenlooper is renewing his call on Senator Cory Gardner, Mitch McConnell, and Chuck Schumer to get back to Washington and address the testing shortage across the country.
“Days after the federal government cut funding for a Colorado COVID-19 testing center, President Donald Trump admitted at a rally in Tulsa he was slowing down coronavirus testing for political expediency — and Senator Cory Gardner hasn’t said a word about this failure,” said Hickenlooper. “Now with over 60,000 new coronavirus cases a day, people are waiting days and even weeks for results, crippling our response to the pandemic. Washington’s failure to act is making this crisis even worse. Senator Gardner should get back to work.”
Last week, John called on both Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to end the scheduled two-week recess and return to work to pass urgent relief for Colorado families, small businesses, and medical workers. Over the course of the week, he called on Senator Gardner and his colleagues to end their vacation early to work to extend the unemployment benefits that are set to expire in two weeks, get medical workers the protective gear they need, and pass rental relief for the struggling homeowners and renters. Meanwhile, Senator Gardner ignored calls to stand up to Trump’s refusal to adhere to CDC guidelines for schools.
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