Whereas the first Monday in March is recognized as COVID–19 Victims and Survivors Memorial Day; Whereas SARS–CoV–2, a novel coronavirus that causes COVID–19 disease (referred to in this preamble as COVID–19 ), is a deadly illness that can transmit from individual to individual; Whereas, in late 2019, COVID–19 emerged and began to spread throughout the world, creating a global pandemic that has had a catastrophic impact on human life, communities in the United States, and the economy of the United States; Whereas, in March 2020, communities in every State 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 COVID–19 including mourning their loved ones or suffering from the long-term health implications of the virus; Whereas, by the end of February 2023, there had been more than 102,998,000 known cases of COVID–19 in the United States, and more than 1,113,000 people tragically lost their lives; Whereas COVID–19 has had a disproportionate impact on low-income communities and communities of color, rural and tribal communities, individuals with disabilities, individuals with weakened immune systems, individuals experiencing homelessness, and individuals living in congregate settings, such as long-term care facilities and prisons; Whereas COVID–19 has harmed the health and wellbeing of veterans, especially those struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, by increasing social isolation and disrupting access to mental health services; Whereas COVID–19 has harmed the health and wellbeing of children by reducing access to care and health services, disrupting schooling, increasing stress on caregivers, and tragically robbing millions of children of a parent or caregiver