Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence on why urban areas have been hit hard by COVID-19

(FOX 2) - We know COVID-19 doesn't discriminate but when you look at the numbers it looks like it's hitting poor, urban communities especially hard. 

Why and what is being done to help? Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield) joins us to talk about the racial disparity the coronavirus has shown us in so many places across the country and here in Michigan.

Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence talks federal reaction to COVID-19 pandemic

"I want to say this to everyone, this is not a joke. You may feel fine, but please stay at home."

FOX 2: "Congresswoman, you wanted to put this out there because you know it is an issue. Talk about what the problem is here?

Brenda Lawrence: "So many of the chronic failures that we have in this country, we say in America that if you are poor, we will give you subsidies, we will give you support. so you can buy food. We must have water to live and in America the fact we cut off water is just slapping us in the face because we keep telling people wash your hands. If you don't have water in your house, how are you going to wash your hands? All of these issues are just bubbling to the top. So I can tell you from a federal level this is becoming just heart-wrenching. We are fighting today to save lives from this virus and then we are confronted with policies and lack of funding that we have seen historically throughout this country that we must fix."

FOX 2: "So give us an idea what is going on to battle this virus at the federal level? what is being worked on right now?"

Lawrence: "A couple of things have happened that America needs to know. When Donald Trump came into office his administration dismantled what the Obama Administration had built for the Ebola crisis and started something new. I am writing a bill that says if any president that comes in cannot dismantle this department to deal with national pandemics or also any national disease crisis that we have to fight. 

"We don't allow every administration to come in and start their own military. It has to be consistent, it has to be qualified, building on experiences and resources so that we are always prepared. We must learn from this that we must have preparedness. This is not about your administration; this is not about what party comes in. So we need to write a bill to address that. 

"Secondly, the unfortunate statement that the stockpile of equipment did not belong to states. What is America but the United States of America? And so yes, that stockpile - because the federal government does not have its own population. Where is the greatest need? And we have seen our governors, thank God for them. They have gone to their own resources; they have made connections in China state by state to bring in resources."

FOX 2: "Congresswoman, is there anything you would like to add?"

Lawrence: I want to say this to everyone. This is not a joke. you may feel fine, but please stay at home. If you have to go out, wear a mask. wear gloves. I am not supporting that it’s optional. We must do it together because at the end of the day I don't know too many people that don't know someone personally that has died. 

"This is not, I'll get sick. This is something that will cause the loss of life. And as we grieve, I want to say to everyone who lost someone, my heart goes out to you. And I want to commit to them on a federal level, we hear you, we see you."