| Dear, Millions of us are sheltering in place, wondering if we can pay rent next month. More than 33,000 have fallen ill from the coronavirus, and 400 have died. Meanwhile, the Republican-led Senate is trying to push through a half-trillion dollar bailout of giant industries with no strings attached -- while leaving millions of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck out in the cold.(1) It is absolutely appalling that anyone in Congress is on board with a bailout for corporate billionaires and not those families hit hardest by the pandemic. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is on the verge of passing this bill, and several California representatives are on his side. The disconnect between what the country needs to survive during the pandemic and what the Republican-led Senate has put in its bill is mind-blowing. Hospitals are in desperate need of supplies, coronavirus tests, and beds.(2) Nearly a million people have applied for unemployment in the last week alone, and more are coming. Small and large businesses alike will close their doors and lay workers off.(3) 54 million k-12 students and millions of college students are trying to achieve “distance learning,” many without reliable internet or devices.(4) The Senate's bill hands $500 billion to Trump's treasury secretary to hand out to corporations at will, and when Democrats asked for bans on firing workers or using the money for stock buybacks, McConnell said no.(5) The bill also provides a paltry one-time tax advance of $600 to America's poorest workers, and nothing to some of them. It does not provide paid leave for people having to leave their jobs due to the coronavirus. It does not activate any federal resources to increase medical supplies. In short, the Senate is looking out for Boeing and Goldman Sachs, not working families. The good news is that Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a new bill in the House that prioritizes what is necessary for Americans to ride out the pandemic intact, including meaningful financial support for families. But the House Minority leader from California, Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) is already fighting against the bill introduced by Speaker Pelosi. If we have any chance of passing a stimulus package that works for us all, we need every representative to hear from their constituents 24/7 so that our voices win out over the lobbyists. When we defeated TrumpCare, we took to the streets and swarmed representatives' offices -- but we just can't do that this time. That's why we need to activate our digital tools and connect representatives with constituents remotely starting right now. Will you donate to help defeat the Senate’s slush fund for corporations? Yours in the fight for our democracy, Eddie, along with Angela, Anne, Brian, Caitlin, Deepthi, Gabby, Jay, Lindsay, Molly, and Raquel (the Courage team) Footnotes:  |
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Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign) makes sure our democracy works for ALL of us by fighting corruption in California politics. We believe the solution lies in exposing and solving systemic problems through strategic organizing, enhancing coordination between progressive organizations, and mobilizing civic engagement from our communities, particularly voters of color, young voters, and self-identified progressives. http://act.couragecampaign.org/go/30753?t=16&akid=10242%2E3168579%2E1-zP5B |