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Opinion

Arroyo: Congress leaders must stand against H.R.3 destructive legislation

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When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the state of Arizona early last year, we weren’t sure what the impact would be on our community. My entire family caught COVID-19, not because we weren’t careful, but because of how rampant it was in our community in Mesa.

We all had trouble breathing, and experienced daily coughing fits, chills, and debilitating migraines. My mom had it the worst, she ran a fever for multiple days.

We stayed inside and did our best to heal. While it did take several weeks for us to recover, we lived every day after that in a sort of fear of catching the virus again. This fear is exactly why it’s critical to celebrate the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine in our state. It allows us to see the end of this terrible pandemic and focus on ensuring that we try to live again.

Yet, just when we thought things would be getting back to normal, or as normal as possible, we received news that H.R.3 had been introduced in Congress. Why are we trying to stifle the industry that just saved us from a pandemic with its revolutionary vaccines? We shouldn’t be limiting the innovation, but instead protecting the industry in case a variant of COVID-19 breaks through our current vaccines.

We need our leaders in Congress to think about Arizonans and stand against this destructive legislation.

Editor’s note: Mireya Arroyo is a resident of Mesa.

COVID-19, H.R.3, Congress