Louisiana’s first elected Republican woman to Congress said Sunday she’ll use her personal loss of her lawmaker husband to the coronavirus to encourage vaccinations for those who are hesitant in the state.
In an interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” Rep.-elect Julia Letlow said the COVID-19 death of her husband, the late GOP Rep.-Elect Luke Letlow, might help to encourage people who haven’t yet been vaccinated.
“Look at my family, use my story,” she encouraged her constituents. “I experienced a tragedy in my immediate family and COVID can touch every family out there. And so, you know, there is a vaccine that has lifesaving capabilities. I want to encourage everyone to trust it and get the vaccine.”
“When a person can get outside of themselves during the grieving process and find ways to serve others, that can actually be cathartic in helping guide them through the grieving process,” Letlow added. “So I just see everything in my life and in my marriage has led me to this one moment in time.”
Letlow said she’d be supportive of President Joe Biden’s proposal to increase broadband access to rural areas.
“I’m definitely going to get on board with any proposal that is going to provide rural broadband to my district,” she said.
“We have some of the highest poverty rates in the nation right here,” she added. “My background is in higher education. I believe if you can educate a child, you give them a future. And so I want to champion education all the way from early childhood, K-12, our underutilized trade schools and community colleges to our four-year institutions. There’s nothing like a pandemic to bring to light how vital rural broadband is in educating our children, but also providing health care to the constituents in my district.”
She also noted being in Congress now puts a Louisiana woman at the table on issues including equitable pay, an issue that she says she supports.
“When you look at our population, the makeup of Louisiana, roughly 52% is female,” she said. “Every issue is a woman’s issue. And so it’s a wonderful opportunity for Louisiana to have a woman to have a seat at the table.”
Source: Newmax
