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Dear Friend,
33,404 Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 400 have died so far.1 Meanwhile, an estimated 875,000 people filed for unemployment last week—the most in any week in history.2
But instead of helping the people he was elected to represent, here is what Senate Mitch McConnell is trying to pass:3
- A half-trillion-dollar slush fund for Trump to give to corporate CEOs with no strings attached
- Zero protections to stop corporations from firing workers while pocketing stimulus money
- A “taxpayer relief” payout that does nothing to support the poorest and most vulnerable of us
- Zero direct action to put more coronavirus tests in the hands of hospitals and providers
We need to activate grassroots energy like never before if we are going to stop this immoral bailout of the 1%. Usually, in a fight like this, we’d take to the streets and stage sit-ins in Congress to make the will of the people known. But we can’t do that now, so we have to rely on our digital tools, like social media, calls and emails to Congress, and more to stop billion-dollar corporations from winning a $2 trillion payout for themselves.
There is no question that America is hurting while we practice social distancing.
Hospitals are so short on supplies that they’re asking people to sew homemade masks so doctors and nurses can avoid getting sick. We don’t have the tests needed to get a grasp on how far the coronavirus has spread through the country.4
If small businesses don’t get help, they may not be able to reopen when the pandemic passes. People who have been laid off still have to pay rent and utility bills. Parents who can work from home are having to take reduced hours so they can homeschool the 54 million kids who are out of school.
But Mitch McConnell’s bill doesn’t help the average person. Instead, the bill looks to support billion-dollar industries, like airlines, that have a history of using stimulus money for stock buybacks, not worker salaries.5
It’s a disgrace. But if we don’t fight against it now, this terrible bailout for billionaires will pass.
There is another way: The House of Representatives has an alternative bill with:
- Restrictions on firing workers and prohibition on stock buybacks for businesses that take stimulus money
- Emergency funds to support hospitals and health-care workers so they can get much-needed supplies, including coronavirus tests
- Increase in funding for the SNAP program to address food insecurity
- A tax advance for families and guaranteed paid leave for those who are sick or taking care of family members who are ill
- Provisions to protect our ability to vote in the upcoming election
So many lives are at stake—we have to do everything possible to win a stimulus package that supports the people.
Thanks for standing with us.
Robert Cruickshank,
Demand Progress
Sources:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Cases in U.S.," accessed March 24, 2020
2. The Wall Street Journal, "U.S. Layoffs Likely Surged to Unprecedented Level This Past Week," March 20, 2020
3. Common Dreams, "Senate Democrats Applauded for Again Stopping GOP 'Corporate Bailout That Leaves Americans Behind'," March 23, 2020
4. CNN, "People around the country are sewing masks. And some hospitals, facing dire shortage, welcome them," March 24, 2020
5. Common Dreams, "Senate Democrats Applauded for Again Stopping GOP 'Corporate Bailout That Leaves Americans Behind'," March 23, 2020
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