Mackenzie Burn
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Douglas Emhoff, husband of the vice president, on Tuesday visited Mary’s Center, a community health center in Silver Spring that has been offering COVID-19 tests and vaccinations.
Emhoff accompanied U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-MD, on a tour at the center and spoke with a patient after she received a vaccine.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are promoting the American Rescue Plan on a “Help is Here” tour. The plan includes a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. The second gentleman’s trip to the clinic was to promote the plan and express dissent with Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who said recently “I don’t think I would have voted for it” when referring to the relief package.
The package will provide Maryland with more than $6.3 million in state and local relief. It also has a large focus on giving relief to different health facilities like Mary’s Center. Officials said that these facilities will receive $11 million, and there will be $70 billion allocated to distribution of the vaccine. The package is expected to cut child poverty in half this year, officials said.
“I’m thrilled that the Second Gentleman visited Maryland with Rep. Raskin and met with our extraordinary health care workers,” Yvette Lewis, Maryland’s Democratic Party chair, said.
“It’s been a difficult year for our state, but thanks to the hard work of the Biden-Harris administration and the efforts of Maryland’s congressional delegation, help is here,” she added. “Today’s visit by Second Gentleman Emhoff highlights the importance of the American Rescue Plan and how it will put more money in pockets and shots in arms.”
Officials said that Mary’s Center serves more than 60,000 people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds in the Washington, D.C. metro area and has been offering COVID-19 testing and vaccination to those in underserved areas.
“I learned a lot about the holistic approach, telehealth, and most importantly, that reaching the community is key,” Emhoff said in a press release.
Raskin said, “Mary’s Center and community health clinics are the critical bridge for reaching into the community to get the vaccine to the people who need it most.”