John,

The U.S. Senate is back from their 25 day vacation. And, after dithering for months on a pandemic relief bill, they could hold a vote as early as tomorrow on an anemic measure, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell yesterday.

While the House and Senate bills both include critical funding for education, assistance to struggling small businesses, and COVID-19 treatment support, they also differ in many ways, as shown in the table below.

The Senate GOP bill, which would only spend $500 billion in total, fails to provide any direct aid to states and local communities for public services. The House-passed HEROES Act would provide $915 billion to make up for massive budget shortfalls and save millions of jobs.

The Senate GOP bill fails to provide hazard pay for essential workers, fails to provide housing support to prevent evictions and foreclosures, fails to provide food assistance for hungry people and families, fails to provide student loan forgiveness and so much more.

And of course, unlike the HEROES Act the Senate GOP bill fails to repeal the Millionaires Giveaway―a tax cut averaging $1.6 million to each of 43,000 millionaires that Senate Republicans snuck into the CARES Act, the first COVID-19 aid package, passed in March.[1]

Write to your U.S. Senators and demand the Senate pass a bill that includes critical protections for working people, and vulnerable families and communities, based on the priorities of the House-passed HEROES Act.

Here are some of the major differences between the HEROES Act and McConnell’s anemic plan:

Sources: Footnotes 2 & 3

Senate Republicans’ anemic bill fails to meet the urgency of the moment at a time when millions continue to suffer from reduced wages and unemployment, and when states and local governments desperately need help to maintain basic services in their communities.

At a time when billionaires have seen their wealth skyrocket by nearly $800 billion, or 27%, in the midst of a pandemic, and millions of families struggle to make ends meet, we need a fair share tax system and a pandemic response that puts working people and the most vulnerable first.[4]

With the Senate poised to vote as early as tomorrow, we must make our voices heard!

Write to your U.S. Senators today and demand a pandemic response that meets the urgency of the moment.

We cannot allow Mitch McConnell and the GOP Senate to ignore the economic suffering of millions of people at this urgent time of need.

Thank you,

Frank Clemente
Executive Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund

[1] “HEROES Act raises $250 billion by repealing huge tax tax cut for the rich,” Americans for Tax Fairness, May 15, 2020

[2] “The Gulf Between Republicans and Democrats on Coronavirus Aid, in 9 Charts,” New York Times, July 30, 2020

[3] “Senate GOP Targeted Relief Package Summary 9-8-2020,” Office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sept. 8, 2020

[4] “5 Months Into Pandemic, Billionaires’ Total Wealth Has Ballooned by Nearly $800 Billion,” Americans for Tax Fairness, Aug. 25, 2020