The Senate coronavirus bill gives away billions to Big Oil—money that should be going to health care supplies and everyday people struggling to make ends meet.
John,
Millions of Americans are making huge sacrifices to fight the pandemic. At the same time, the World Health Organization just announced that the United States is on the verge of becoming the “epicenter” of the global coronavirus outbreak.
But instead of passing a coronavirus relief bill that prioritizes desperately needed supplies for health care workers, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump have been pushing to give away billions to Big Oil.
I’m not just angry about this. I’m furious.
After days of secret dealmaking, the Senate reached an agreement on a bill in the dead of night. No one has seen the details. They’re now rushing to vote on the bill before anyone can read it. But make no mistake: Every dime given away to the oil industry means money taken away from workers and families. We can’t let that happen.
Mitch McConnell's earlier version of the Senate coronavirus bill included a $500 billion slush fund for big corporations—including frackers and oil companies—with no strings attached and no oversight whatsoever. Trump’s Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin alone would decide how that half-a-trillion dollars is spent. The newest bill is little better.
Meanwhile, the CDC is advising health care workers to sew together bandanas and scarves because they are running out of protective masks. Doctors may be forced to decide on the fly who lives and who dies because there aren’t enough ventilators.
The details of the new version of the bill are still largely secret, but multiple reports say we succeeded in preventing money for buying oil to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. But with another future bailout package already being rumored, we know we have to keep up the pressure.
Wenonah Hauter
Founder and Executive Director
Food & Water Action and Food & Water Watch
Food & Water Action and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Watch, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate. This email was sent to [email protected] - and we're glad you got it, because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.
