FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2020
Contact: Emily Phelps | press@indivisible.org
Washington, DC — Today, the Indivisible Project released the following statement in response to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer’s draft coronavirus bailout bill:
“If the intention of this bill is to plug the holes from the last, then this bill falls far too short. Specifically, we need to see access to testing and treatment as well as economic support for everyone, regardless of immigration status. We need to see additional economic support for families, including universal paid sick leave and funding for childcare. We need to see monthly stimulus checks to support the millions of workers and families suffering right now. And, given how easily and quickly Trump was able to circumvent the accountability measures in the CARES Act, this bill also needs to prioritize adding airtight restrictions and oversight over Trump's slush fund,” said Indivisible’s National Policy Director Angel Padilla.
“The Democratic leadership needs to listen to their own constituents--their pain, anxiety and outrage. This is a crisis of unprecedented scale, and Democrats need to use the full power of the House to advance solutions that match the needs of the moment. We expect to see a bill following the principles of the People’s Bailout: a swift, inclusive bailout rooted in justice.”
“We appreciate that Schumer and Pelosi have acknowledged that the last coronavirus relief package didn't go far enough--but neither does this one, not even close,” said Meagan Hatcher Mays, Director of Democracy Policy. “The last bill was a $2 trillion free-for-all for corporations and elites, and this bill doesn't even pretend to address that by strengthening oversight over the bailout money. Even worse, after the utter chaos we all witnessed in Wisconsin yesterday, this bill includes no additional money for election reforms or vote by mail.”
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