“One million empty chairs around the dinner table,” the president said.

“Each an irreplaceable loss.

Each leaving behind a family, a community, and a nation forever changed because of this pandemic.”

As of Wednesday, data compiled byJohns Hopkins Universityshowed 998,997 deaths from COVID-19 in the US.

TheCenters for Disease Control and Preventionhad the tally at 995,747.

During the summit on Thursday, Biden is expected to urge Congress to authorize the funds.