From xxxxxx <[email protected]>
Subject Joe Biden Must Put an End to Business as Usual. Here's Where to Start
Date January 21, 2021 5:10 AM
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[ In this time of unprecedented crises, Congress and the Biden
administration must respond through unprecedented action]
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JOE BIDEN MUST PUT AN END TO BUSINESS AS USUAL. HERE'S WHERE TO START
 
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Bernie Sanders
January 20, 2021
The Guardian
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_ In this time of unprecedented crises, Congress and the Biden
administration must respond through unprecedented action _

Bernie Sanders, Photo by Gage Skidmore

 

Arecord-breaking 4,000 Americans are now dying each day from Covid-19,
while the federal government fumbles vaccine production and
distribution, testing and tracing. In the midst of the worst pandemic
in 100 years, more than 90 million Americans are uninsured or
underinsured and can’t afford to go to a doctor when they get sick.
The isolation and anxiety caused by the pandemic has resulted in a
huge increase in mental illness.

Over half of American workers are living paycheck to paycheck,
including millions of essential workers who put their lives on the
line every day. More than 24 million Americans are unemployed,
underemployed or have given up looking for work, while hunger in this
country is at the highest level in decades.

Because of lack of income, up to 40 million Americans face the threat
of eviction, and many owe thousands in back rent. This is on top of
the 500,000 who are already homeless.

Meanwhile, the wealthiest people in this country are becoming much
richer, and income and wealth inequality are soaring. Incredibly,
during the pandemic, 650 billionaires in America have increased their
wealth by more than $1tn.

As a result of the pandemic education in this country, from childcare
to graduate school, is in chaos. The majority of young people in this
country have seen their education disrupted and it is likely that
hundreds of colleges will soon cease to exist.

Climate change is ravaging the planet with an unprecedented number of
forest fires and extreme weather disturbances. Scientists tell us that
we have only a very few years before irreparable damage takes place to
our country and the world.

And, in the midst of all this, the foundations of American democracy
are under an unprecedented attack. We have a president who is working
feverishly to undermine American democracy and incite violence against
the very government and constitution he swore to defend. Against all
of the evidence, tens of millions of Americans actually believe
Trump’s Big Lie that he won this election by a landslide and that
victory was stolen from him and his supporters. Armed rightwing
militias in support of Trump are being mobilized throughout the
country.

In this moment of unprecedented crises, Congress and the Biden
administration must respond through unprecedented action. No more
business as usual. No more same old, same old.

Democrats [[link removed]], who will
now control the White House, the Senate and the House, must summon the
courage to demonstrate to the American people that government can
effectively and rapidly respond to their pain and anxiety. As the
incoming chairman of the Senate budget committee that is exactly what
I intend to do.

What does all of this mean for the average American?

It means that we aggressively crush the pandemic and enable the
American people to return to their jobs and schools. This will require
a federally led emergency program to produce the quantity of vaccines
that we need and get them into people’s arms as quickly as possible.

It means that during the severe economic downturn we’re
experiencing, we must make sure that all Americans have the financial
resources they need to live with dignity. We must increase the $600 in
direct payments for every working-class adult and child that was
recently passed to $2,000, raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour,
expand unemployment benefits and prevent eviction, homelessness and
hunger.

It means that, during this raging pandemic, we must guarantee
healthcare to all. We must also end the international embarrassment of
the United States being the only major country on Earth not to provide
paid family and medical leave to workers.

It means making pre-kindergarten and childcare universal and available
to every family in America.

Despite what you may have heard, there is no reason why we cannot
do _all_ of these things. Through budget reconciliation, a process
that only requires a majority vote in the Senate, we can act quickly
and pass this emergency legislation.

But that is not enough. This year we must also pass a second
reconciliation bill that deals with the major structural changes that
our country desperately needs. Ultimately, we must confront the
grotesque level of income and wealth inequality and create a country
that works for all and not just the few. Americans should no longer be
denied basic economic rights that are guaranteed to people in
virtually every other major country.

This means using a second reconciliation bill to create millions of
good-paying jobs rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and
constructing affordable housing, modernizing our schools, combatting
climate change and making massive investments in energy efficiency and
renewable energy.

It means making public colleges, universities, trade schools and
Historically Black Colleges and Universities tuition-free and
forcefully addressing the outrageous level of student debt for working
families.

And it means making the wealthiest Americans and most profitable
corporations pay their fair share of taxes. We cannot continue to
allow profitable corporations like Amazon to make billions of dollars
in taxes and pay nothing in net federal income taxes. And billionaires
cannot be allowed to pay a lower tax rate than working-class
Americans. We need real tax reform.

There is no reason Joe Biden could not sign into law two major bills
that will accomplish most of the goals I listed above within the first
100 days of the new Congress. We cannot allow Mitch McConnell and the
Republican leadership to sabotage legislation that would improve the
lives of millions of working Americans and is wildly popular.

Let us never forget. When Republicans controlled the Senate, they used
the reconciliation process to pass trillions of dollars in tax breaks
primarily to the top 1% and multinational corporations. Further, they
were able to confirm three rightwing US supreme court judges over a
very short period of time by a simple majority vote.

If the Republicans could use the reconciliation process to protect the
wealthy and the powerful, we can use it to protect working families,
the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the poor.

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