Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat and chairwoman of the influential House Financial Services Committee, said Thursday that her sister is dying of coronavirus in a hospital in St Louis, Missouri.
“I’m going to take a moment to dedicate this legislation to my dear sister who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri right now, infected by the coronavirus,” Waters said on the House floor ahead of a vote on a package worth more than $480 billion in COVID-19 response. While speaking, Waters lowered her face mask to be heard, one of multiple lawmakers seen wearing face masks Thursday.
Waters was speaking in support of the already passed Paycheck Protection Program and the pending Health Care Enhancement Act, which is expected to pass a House vote on Thursday. President Donald Trump has publicly supported the bill, indicating he will sign it when it reaches the Oval Office. This legislation would provide $370 billion in funding for small business loans and $100 billion for hospitals and additional coronavirus testing.
Waters is a liberal Democrat who has previously gone further than many of her Democratic colleagues in rebuking Trump. She has served in the Congress since 1991.
Waters is not the only member of Congress who has personally experienced the pain of the virus. This morning, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts shared that her brother passed away after testing positive for coronavirus.
