Whereas the first Monday in March is recognized as COVID–19 Victims Memorial Day ; Whereas SARS–CoV–2 is a coronavirus that causes COVID–19 disease (referred to in this preamble as COVID–19 ); Whereas, in late 2019, COVID–19 emerged and began to spread throughout the world, creating a pandemic that has had a catastrophic impact on human life, communities, and the economy of the United States; Whereas, in March 2020, communities in the United States began to experience increased death due to the COVID–19 pandemic, and families lost parents, siblings, children, friends, and neighbors to the virus; Whereas, beginning in 2020, many across the United States were, and continue to be, personally impacted by the COVID–19 pandemic, including mourning their loved ones or suffering from the unknown long-term health implications of the virus; Whereas, by the end of February 2023, there had been more than 100,000,000 known cases of COVID–19 in the United States, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 1,100,000 individuals tragically lost their lives due to illness related to COVID–19; Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on low-income communities and communities of color, individuals with disabilities, individuals with weakened immune systems, individuals with other risk factors, such as physical or mental comorbidities, and individuals living in congregate settings, such as long-term care facilities and prisons; Whereas frontline and essential workers and health care and public health professionals have taken selfless actions to protect their neighbors and communities, support struggling local economies, and find innovative ways to provide services; Whereas local, State, Tribal, and Federal Government entities have provided critical support to businesses, communities, and the people of the United States in need; and Whereas each life lost to the COVID–19 pandemic and each sacrifice made shall never be forgotten: Now, therefore, be it