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Top congressional Democrats have written to President Trump asking him to order that flags be lowered to half-staff on all public buildings to honor Americans who died during the coronavirus pandemic once the death toll hits 100,000.

In the letter, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer note that during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, the US comes together to honor service members  killed in battle, and that it would be appropriate to also honor those felled by the coronavirus.

“As we pay our respects to them, sadly, our country mourns the deaths of nearly 100,000 Americans from COVID-19. Our hearts are broken by this great loss and our prayers are with their families,” they said.

“We are writing to request that you order that flags be flown at half-staff on all public buildings on the sad day of reckoning when we reach 100,000 deaths. It would serve as a national expression of grief so needed by everyone in our country,” they continued.

More than 93,000 people have died from coronavirus in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The plea by Pelosi and Schumer comes weeks after former Vice President Joe Biden made the same suggestion.

A number of governors, including New York’s Andrew Cuomo, Connecticut’s Ned Lamont and New Jersey’s Phil Murphy, have all ordered flags lowered to honor coronavirus deaths.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The president has the right to order that flags be flown at half-staff for tragedies such as mass shootings and the deaths of notable officials or others.

Flags are normally lowered to half-staff on Memorial Day.