Team,

Last week, I led a letter with nearly 60 of my colleagues calling for direct cash payments of at least $1,200 in any COVID relief bill. After months of stonewalling, Republicans finally came back to the negotiating table and offered a $600 one time payment.

$600.

When nearly 8 million people have gone into poverty since just August, over 800,000 workers have filed for unemployment this week alone, and millions of people are more than five months behind on rent — Republicans offered the American people $600 to survive.

Why is it that we’re okay to write blank checks for endless wars or give corporations bailout after bailout, but when it comes to helping working people, they have to settle for scraps?

I will not accept that $600 is the best we can do.

I’m going to keep leading the fight and pushing back until we have a relief package that matches the scale of this crisis.

In solidarity,

Ilhan Omar