LANSING, Mich., Dec. 14, 2021 — Today, the Michigan House of Representatives passed House Bill 5523, an appropriation bill that contains more than $1 billion in federal funding dedicated to fighting COVID-19, some of which has been available since last December. In response, House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski (D-Scio Township) released the following statement:
“After nearly a year, with multiple waves of COVID-19 come and gone, the vote was finally called to allocate federal relief that has been available since Dec. 21, 2020. As our hospitals are filled to capacity, health care staff are pushed to the breaking point and people go without live-saving care because beds are occupied by COVID patients, it has never been more urgent to bring these taxpayer dollars back home to Michigan and out into the communities where they can help treat and mitigate this disease. Our constituents deserve to go to work and come home safe. They deserve to send their kids to school and have them come home safe and healthy. They deserve more testing and treatment facilities to help identify and control the spread of the virus. This money will help them do it, and I was proud to finally be able to vote for it.”