Maxine Waters Says Her Sister Is Dying of Coronavirus

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, revealed Thursday that her coronavirus-stricken sister is dying in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

Waters made the remark during her House floor speech in which she dedicated Congress’s $484 billion relief package to her sister.

“I not only rise in support of this legislation,” said the California Democrat as she wore her face mask around her chin. “I also would like to rise in support of what we’re doing for the health care enhancement act in this bill. And I’m going to take a moment to dedicate this legislation to my dear sister who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, right now infected by the coronavirus.”

The House is expected to approve the relief bill Thursday, two days after the Senate passed the measure. The package includes $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, $75 billion for hospitals, $60 billion for emergency disaster loans, and $25 billion for testing.

In another part of Waters’ speech, the congresswoman said that subsequent coronavirus aid must provide additional funding for Americans “hurting by the exploding economic fallout of the pandemic.

“Congress must now immediately turn to the next package of legislation to provide relief during the pandemic,” the lawmaker added. “We need to do much more to help renters, homeowners, people experiencing homelessness and mom and pop landlords.”

Earlier Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) announced that her oldest brother, Don Reed Herring, had died from the coronavirus. He was 86-years-old.

“My oldest brother, Don Reed, died from coronavirus on Tuesday evening,” Warren wrote on Twitter. “He joined the Air Force at 19 and spent his career in the military, including five and a half years off and on in combat in Vietnam. He was charming and funny, a natural leader.”

“I’m grateful to the nurses and frontline staff who took care of him, but it’s hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say ‘I love you’ one more time—and no funeral for those of us who loved him to hold each other close. I’ll miss you dearly my brother,” she added.