Even as the U.S. continues to move forward in its reopening process, the nation's leaders are demonstrating that those who lost their lives to the deadly impact of novel coronavirus will never be forgotten. 

On Monday evening, members of Congress gathered on the east front steps of the U.S. Capitol building to honor Americans who passed away due to the effects of COVID-19.

According to ABC News, the group included Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and other bipartisan members of Congress.

After the moment of silence, Tech. Sgt. Matthew Scollin from the Air Force Band performed a rendition of "God Bless America."

Earlier that evening, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer touched on the impact of the virus while on the Senate floor saying, "It is particularly jarring at this moment -- a moment of recovery, optimism and hope -- to remember the enormity of lives lost over the past 15 months. Not only that, we face the grim reality that these recent fatalities happened while Americans were on the verge of getting the vaccine. Some had their appointment just days away."

ABC News reports that the U.S. is on the verge of reaching a total of 600,000 coronavirus-related deaths.