Rep. Stansbury Joins Lawmakers Urging Congress to Support Relief for Those with Long COVID

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) joined 23 of her colleagues urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to include robust, dedicated funding to support people battling Long COVID in a future coronavirus relief package. The lawmakers’ letter comes after the White House named addressing Long COVID as a priority in its updated National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan.  

“Congress must use every available tool to immediately respond to this crisis within a crisis. Across the country, in every Congressional district, people are suffering from Long COVID,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is incumbent upon the federal government to be responsive to their needs with investments in educating the medical community and broader public on the illness, expanding access to multidisciplinary treatment, and funding inclusive research into long-term health outcomes with robust data collection.” 

Although there is no official count of people with the ailment, a conservative estimate of ten percent of documented COVID-19 survivors means 7.8 million people in the United States are afflicted, disproportionately from marginalized communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with Long COVID may experience a combination of symptoms, ranging from extreme fatigue and cognitive dysfunction to muscle pain and gastrointestinal issues to difficulty breathing, insomnia, and heart palpitations.

The University of New Mexico Hospital is currently participating in a nationwide study documenting how Long COVID impacts different individuals.  

The letter, led by Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), was co-signed by Representatives Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-12), Cori Bush (MO-01), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-27), Jim Costa (CA-16), Mike Doyle (PA-18), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Darren Soto (FL-09), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07). 

The full text of the letter is available here and below: 

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer, 

As our nation continues to prepare for the next chapter of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress must work to ensure a just and equitable recovery that leaves no community behind. As such, I respectfully urge you to include robust funding to address the crisis of Long COVID in a future coronavirus relief package.  

Long COVID, also referred to as post-COVID conditions and Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection (PASC), is a serious illness that can affect the function of multiple organs months after a person contracts COVID-19. Although there is no official count of people with the ailment, a conservative estimate of ten percent of documented COVID-19 survivors means 7.8 million people are afflicted, disproportionately from our most marginalized communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with Long COVID may experience a combination of symptoms, ranging from extreme fatigue and cognitive dysfunction to muscle pain and gastrointestinal issues to difficulty breathing, insomnia, and heart palpitations. 

The Biden Administration has recognized the importance of addressing Long COVID. Due to its debilitating effects, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice have classified the condition as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Furthermore, the Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force has issued numerous recommendations to address the impact of Long COVID on the American public. These are critical steps forward and more must be done. 

Congress must use every available tool to immediately respond to this crisis within a crisis. Across the country, in every Congressional district, people are suffering from Long COVID. It is incumbent upon the federal government to be responsive to their needs with investments in educating the medical community and broader public on the illness, expanding access to multidisciplinary treatment, and funding inclusive research into long-term health outcomes with robust data collection. Our COVID-19 legislative agenda is insufficient without these necessities, and we are neglecting our responsibility without another COVID relief package.  

Congress must act. The millions of people suffering from Long COVID need us to take bold, decisive action. Hence, any future COVID relief package must include robust funding to address Long COVID. We will not be able to recover from the pandemic if we do not confront Long COVID.  

Sincerely,