Rep. Donna Shalala played “Fight Song,” the de facto theme song of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, while the House Rules Committee considered new coronavirus legislation.
As the House debated how to respond to the global pandemic late Wednesday night, the Florida Democrat unlocked her phone to play the tune by Rachel Platten.
“Mr. Chairman,” Shalala said before taking out her cellphone and blasting the song for fellow members of Congress to hear.
“It’s not ‘Sicko Mode,’ but it’s good,” another lawmaker said in response, referring to a song by rapper Travis Scott.
Shalala tweeted out footage of her abrupt action on Thursday morning, writing, “This is my fight song… #HR6201 is a bill to reassure the American public that Congress is doing everything it can to keep families and workers safe in the face of this pandemic.”
?This is my fight song…?#HR6201 is a bill to reassure the American public that Congress is doing everything it can to keep families and workers safe in the face of this pandemic. pic.twitter.com/jpySameurL
— Rep. Donna E. Shalala (@RepShalala) March 12, 2020
Dubbed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R.6201 was introduced by House Democrats on Wednesday and is sponsored by New York Rep. Nita Lowey. According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the legislation “focuses directly on providing support to America’s families, who must be our first priority in this emergency.”
The legislation is a 124-page spending measure to address the pandemic, which includes a food stamps expansion and paid sick leave.
Coronavirus cases have appeared on every continent except Antarctica since the virus first appeared in Wuhan, China, last year. Worldwide, nearly 128,000 people have tested positive for the virus, and it has killed at least 4,717 people. In the United States, more than 1,300 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and at least 35 patients have died.
