,,iii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #fgi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #aj1 #bjbj,mr4 ,braun 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,murkowski1 ,mr4 ,perdue1 and ,mr4 ,scott of ,south ,carolina7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,,resolution ,expressing appreciation and support for essential employees with disabilities or who are blind during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic and beyond4 ,whereas1 during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 it has been necessary for essential services to continue in areas where most businesses and government buildings are closed2 ,whereas the contracts for essential services arise under ,federal1 ,state1 and local government programs that are intended1 in part1 to provide employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities or who are blind2 ,whereas many essential employees with disabilities or who are blind work through disability service providers that provide training1 job coaches1 transportation1 and any other needed support to help those employees perform essential work2 ,whereas the essential work performed during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic includes-- 7#a7 provisioning the ,united ,states ,navy hospital ships1 ,comfort and ,mercy2 7#b7 manufacturing and delivering thousands of critical products that strengthen the ,,covid-#ai response of the ,united ,states and support hospitals1 health care professionals1 first responders1 the ,united ,states military1 and governments at all levels1 including personal protective equipment1 hand sanitizer1 cleaning products and disinfectants1 first aid kits1 exam gloves1 and toilet paper2 7#c7 supporting ,federal and ,state efforts to establish pop-up hospitals2 7#d7 assembling kits for the ,army that are used to build ,,covid-#ai treatment centers across the ,united ,states2 7#e7 providing the ,united ,states military with critical products1 including the helmets and uniforms soldiers wear every day as ,national ,guard units are deployed around the ,united ,states2 7#f7 performing custodial and commissary work1 food services1 and total facility management services on military bases across the ,united ,states and the territories of the ,united ,states2 7#g7 maintaining offices and providing other services in ,federal1 ,state1 and local government buildings where vital work is being performed1 including-- 7,a7 ,federal buildings in and around the ,district of ,columbia1 such as the ,library of ,congress1 the congressional office buildings1 the ,mark ,center1 and the buildings that house the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation1 the ,department of ,justice1 the ,internal ,revenue ,service1 the ,centers for ,medicare ,medicaid ,services of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and the ,department of ,state2 7,b7 ,state buildings1 such as ,state police barracks1 ,state department of transportation operation centers1 and ,state courthouses2 and 7,c7 numerous other locations across the ,united ,states and the territories of the ,united ,states2 7#h7 with respect to services performed for the medical centers in the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs-- 7,a7 providing deep-cleaning and sanitizing services2 7,b7 operating switchboards2 and 7,c7 manufacturing prescription bottles1 exam gloves1 and other products2 7#i7 providing call center and technical support to ,state and ,federal entities2 7#aj7 operating crisis hotlines and call centers to process the surge in ,state unemployment claims2 7#aa7 sourcing and providing urgently needed personal protective equipment2 7#ab7 providing personal protective equipment for employees of the ,bureau of the ,census2 7#ac7 delivering #bej ,federal medical stations under contract with the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention2 7#ad7 leveraging sewing expertise to produce hundreds of thousands of cloth face masks for ,federal customers1 including the military and medical centers in the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 medical clinics1 local businesses1 and the general public2 7#ae7 increasing the availability of supplies and adapting ,base ,supply ,centers to sell personal protective equipment and cleaning products to customers on military bases2 7#af7 stepping up custodial efforts to-- 7,a7 address known ,,covid-#ai incident locations2 and 7,b7 establish preventative measures to enable other essential employees1 such as medical professionals and military personnel1 to continue their service throughout the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 7#ag7 responding to dynamic changes in acquisition methods to meet the needs of ,federal1 ,state1 and local government customers2 7#ah7 packaging food items and necessary supplies for ongoing work performed by ,federal1 ,state1 and local government employees2 and 7#ai7 hosting virtual support groups1 donating items1 and providing essential services in communities across the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the essential employees who perform these jobs1 many of whom have disabilities or are blind1 play a central and invaluable role in protecting the ,united ,states and the territories of the ,united ,states and fighting the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 ,whereas ,congress and the ,federal ,government have recognized the importance of these jobs by passing laws that support hiring individuals with disabilities or who are blind2 ,whereas essential employees with disabilities or who are blind-- 7#a7 have continued to perform their regular duties and more throughout the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 7#b7 are vital to the economy of the ,united ,states and the territories of the ,united ,states2 and 7#c7 were essential before the ,,covid-#ai pandemic and will continue to be essential after the ,,covid-pandemic has passed into history2 ,whereas these jobs are vital to the personal finances and well-being of the individuals who perform them2 and ,whereas work opportunities to perform essential jobs during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic arise under programs authorized by ,congress or ,state and local legislatures3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes the essential work performed by individuals with disabilities or who are blind during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 and 7#b7 recognizes and thanks essential employees with disabilities or who are blind for-- 7,a7 their efforts throughout the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 and 7,b7 the vital contributions to the ,united ,states they have made in the past and will make in the future4