Rep. Pressley: ‘Communities of Color Are Disproportionately Impacted’ by Viruses

MELVIN Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley ░░░░░░░░ me now of course ░░░░░░░░ from Massachusetts Congresswoman thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for your ░░░░░░░░ this morning I understand ░░░░░░░░ ve written a letter ░░░░░░░░ with Senators Booker Senator ░░░░░░░░ Senator Kamala Harris as ░░░░░░░░ And you wrote this ░░░░░░░░ as I understand it ░░░░░░░░ you correct me if ░░░░░░░░ m wrong here to ░░░░░░░░ secretary of Health and ░░░░░░░░ Services Tell me more ░░░░░░░░ the letter what you ░░░░░░░░ your fellow lawmakers hope ░░░░░░░░ accomplish PRESSLEY Well we ░░░░░░░░ that letter on March ░░░░░░░░ because history has shown ░░░░░░░░ that in the face ░░░░░░░░ combating any virus that ░░░░░░░░ of color are disproportionately ░░░░░░░░ We saw that with ░░░░░░░░ And of course we ░░░░░░░░ communities are color represent ░░░░░░░░ more vulnerable group because ░░░░░░░░ also represent many of ░░░░░░░░ underlying conditions that put ░░░░░░░░ at risk And so ░░░░░░░░ March 27th myself Senator ░░░░░░░░ and Harris and Booker ░░░░░░░░ sent a letter to ░░░░░░░░ and Human Services to ░░░░░░░░ data in realtime to ░░░░░░░░ and disaggregate that data ░░░░░░░░ have not heard a ░░░░░░░░ from them There are ░░░░░░░░ states that are already ░░░░░░░░ this But we need ░░░░░░░░ to be standardized across ░░░░░░░░ board because it will ░░░░░░░░ inform how we coordinate ░░░░░░░░ marshal resources And we ░░░░░░░░ that which gets measured ░░░░░░░░ done It will give ░░░░░░░░ that access to testing ░░░░░░░░ treatment is affordable in ░░░░░░░░ the scale and scope ░░░░░░░░ this pandemic MELVIN Congresswoman ░░░░░░░░ just heard something there ░░░░░░░░ the governor s briefing ░░░░░░░░ was a question asked ░░░░░░░░ this sort of racial ░░░░░░░░ that we re talking ░░░░░░░░ And the response was ░░░░░░░░ they collect they re ░░░░░░░░ the data from the ░░░░░░░░ s office after someone ░░░░░░░░ been I guess it ░░░░░░░░ been determined they ve ░░░░░░░░ as a result of ░░░░░░░░ Do you know if ░░░░░░░░ s the norm nationwide ░░░░░░░░ that unique to New ░░░░░░░░ PRESSLEY Well again that ░░░░░░░░ the point That s ░░░░░░░░ went that initial letter ░░░░░░░░ 27th because we know ░░░░░░░░ history has already shown ░░░░░░░░ To this day myself ░░░░░░░░ representative Robin Kelley of ░░░░░░░░ are writing a letter ░░░░░░░░ the Congressional Black Caucus ░░░░░░░░ for democratic leadership to ░░░░░░░░ this a priority We ░░░░░░░░ standardized testing This has ░░░░░░░░ be a federal mandate ░░░░░░░░ not only that we ░░░░░░░░ that I m sorry ░░░░░░░░ testing but not only ░░░░░░░░ we have that data ░░░░░░░░ that it is being ░░░░░░░░ shared We re already ░░░░░░░░ age and gender And ░░░░░░░░ collecting age and we ░░░░░░░░ now see that we ░░░░░░░░ a higher proportionality of ░░░░░░░░ being represented in this ░░░░░░░░ of color in particular ░░░░░░░░ so it is important ░░░░░░░░ begin to collect this ░░░░░░░░ just do disaggregate it ░░░░░░░░ publicly share it in ░░░░░░░░ time And I will ░░░░░░░░ add given that the ░░░░░░░░ of color disproportionately suffer ░░░░░░░░ those underlying conditions that ░░░░░░░░ them more vulnerable like ░░░░░░░░ and heart disease and ░░░░░░░░ that is why I ░░░░░░░░ continue to fight for ░░░░░░░░ health centers because we ░░░░░░░░ that disproportionately that our ░░░░░░░░ vulnerable communities lack equal ░░░░░░░░ to quality health care ░░░░░░░░ so in meeting the ░░░░░░░░ and scope in this ░░░░░░░░ we have to continue ░░░░░░░░ fight for those community ░░░░░░░░ centers as well.”