The pandemic continues to rampage across America leaving sickness and death, long term economic damage and social turmoil in its path. In May the U.S. House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act to address the ongoing economic crisis caused by the COVID pandemic. For over two months the Republican Senate has refused to consider any action. There is no more time to waste! Tell Mitch McConnell and both your Senators to support a comprehensive relief bill.
The White House and conservative Republicans are seeking to create another corporate bailout bonanza with provisions for a corporate liability waiver and a big corporate tax break in the form of a payroll tax holiday. The worst provision is the waiver of corporate liability for failure to keep employees and customers safe. It is hard to imagine a more counterproductive and cynical “relief” bill. We must not let these billionaire protection provisions pass.
The House bill provides fundamental supports for the economy, maintains purchasing power for the majority of Americans most devastated by the economic upheaval and funds basic work to contain the pandemic. It provides a second round of stimulus checks and an increase for families with dependents. Altogether it authorizes $3 trillion in new spending, with a third of that being devoted to assistance to state and local governments and the Post Office which are now cutting essential services and laying off a new group of key employees - while experiencing skyrocketing demands for services during the crisis.
The bill supports key groups and activities essential to our economic health, it:
extends the $600 federal supplemental unemployment benefit until the end of the year;
sets aside $200 billion for hazard pay to essential workers in the form of a $13-an-hour wage increase;
provides $250 billion for budget stabilization in education, expanding broadband and devices for virtual schools, and addressing the mental health needs of students and families. (This is a start. Much more will be needed if we expect schools to reopen in the absence of containment of COVID-19);
allocates $3.6 billion to state and local governments to make their election systems safe for voters and poll workers under pandemic conditions;
provides $200 billion in additional funding for housing and homelessness programs. Funds cover emergency rental relief, meeting the needs of the unhoused, emergency housing vouchers, rural rental assistance, and funding for existing public housing to address rising costs due to the pandemic. The bill also includes a national, uniform moratorium on evictions for all renters;
extends the suspension of student loan payments to all federal student loans through September 2021 and provides emergency cash payments for financially struggling students regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
These provisions are necessary to address the real crisis that the corona virus pandemic has initiated. It is a lot of money and it is absolutely necessary if we are to win this war against the disease and the demagogues.
Call to Action
Call both your Senators and Mitch McConnell to demand passage of the HEROES Act. Immediately! Choose one or more of its provisions and advocate for full funding and inclusion in the bill. If possible, tell a personal story of why this is an important aspect of the stimulus bill. Make the next bill a true protector of vulnerable populations rather than a pork barrel for lobbyists and banks.
Tell them that you absolutely oppose the waiver of corporate liability for COVID related actions. Keep us safe! Especially the essential workers!