Rep. DeGette has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ community and states on her website that, “I’ve cosponsored the Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include protections based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.” She even regularly meets with OUT FRONT, making sure her voice his heard by those she is fighting for in Washington, D.C.
DeGette is currently chair of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations panel, overseeing the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Rep. DeGette recently attended a closed-door briefing with lawmakers on Capitol hill to discuss the coronavirus. The number of confirmed cases around the globe of the virus has now reached 7,771 with the death toll at 170. DeGette and other representatives were briefed by CDC Director Robert Redfield, National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, and HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Robert Kadlec, as well as other top health officials. DeGette said this to reporters after the briefing:
“This is a dangerous virus but, as health officials told us today, it still remains largely contained to mainland China. That said, if this does turn into some kind of pandemic situation here in the U.S.—which we hope it will not—I am concerned about the time it will take to develop a vaccine and get it distributed to the American public. While we have been able to shorten the time it takes to develop new vaccines, the time it takes to ramp up production and deliver those vaccines to the public is something that I am still very much concerned about.”
DeGette may be a representative from Colorado, but she still cares and works towards global issues. She is not concerned about the lack of a vaccine but rather its production and distribution. The U.S. could have all the vaccination in the world, but without proper distribution setup, it won’t be able get to those who need it the most.
DeGette also said that a CDC team has been sent to China to work with health officials, and that the first case of the virus in India has been reported. The world is anxious about the spread of this new and deadly virus, and hope for a cure soon.
