One of every five working Americans – more than 32 million people – have lost their job to COVID-19. A tsunami of evictions will come unless lawmakers take meaningful action now.
Unemployment is rising - again. Hunger is rising, too. And cases of COVID are rising faster than ever.
Six months into this pandemic, you can’t get a coronavirus test in many places. And if you do, you may have to pay for it yourself – just like that face mask you’re wearing. And your emergency room bill, when you do get sick.
That’s why People’s Action members and allies from coast to coast – 35 groups in 23 states – rose up to demand Congress act NOW to pass a People’s Bailout.
We know what to do. This is not rocket science: it’s public health. And we know lawmakers have the power to make this happen – yet they fail to act. So there’s no time to wait.
What would a People’s Bailout mean? It would guarantee health care, cancel rent and evictions, and provide emergency money to those who need it, rather than fund more policing and bail out corporations.
If Congress acts now, we can chart a path towards the economy we need on the other side of COVID: with green jobs and a sustainable, equitable future. This crisis can also be an opportunity, but only if we act.
Some of these measures have already been approved by House Democrats, but Senate Republicans block them. Little of what we need is in the Republicans’ proposal, which protects businesses, not people. And President Trump is focused on cutting Social Security, at the time when our country needs it most.
It’s time for a full-court press. We need every lawmaker to act now. So from Alabama to Washington State and everywhere in between, People’s Action members are challenging lawmakers from both parties – in their offices, at state capitals, and online – to do the right thing.
Fair Economy Illinois, a coalition of five People's Action member groups - The People’s Lobby/ TPL, ONE Northside, Jane Addams Senior Caucus/ JASC, Illinois People’s Action/ IPA and Chicago Student Action -brought people together at Federal Plaza in Chicago, to call on Senator Dick Durbin, Minority Whip in the Senate, to be bolder in what he’s calling for in the federal relief bill.
160 members of Citizen Action Wisconsin (CAWI) held a Virtual Town Hall with Senator Tammy Baldwin to discuss the need to maintain and further extend economic relief during the pandemic. And they held in-person actions and rallies with mayors and elected officials in Madison, Eau Claire, Milwaukee and Green Bay. West Virginia Citizen Action Group (WVCAG) held a town hall with Sen. Joe Manchin.
Citizen Action of New York (CANY) held actions with partners in New York City, Albany, Binghamton and Kingston. Community Voices Heard (CVH) hosted a virtual town hall with Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Reginald Brown, a People’s Action board member and longtime leader with Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (VOCAL-NY), also joined a special Texting Tuesday event with Senator Nina Turner. Over 150 volunteers from across the country sent 173,413 texts into seven states, encouraging people to call, text and tweet their Senators through our People's Bailout action portal. 10,284 conversations ensued, generating 3,500 emails to U.S. Senators, and many groups also sent direct emails in their states.
To ensure lawmakers heard us loud and clear, we dropped banners at or near the home offices of Senators in Alabama, New Hampshire, California, Idaho, and Vermont!
Iowa CCI placed ads in the Des Moines Register and 15 other papers across the state urging Sen. Joni Ernst to vote for a People’s Bailout, reaching as many as 500,000 Iowans multiple times.
These actions are just the beginning. Our member groups all across the country held thousands more digital actions, car caravans, and even a free tail light clinic, in which we talked about the People’s Bailout and demanded lawmakers take action. And we’re not done yet.
Every time we host these actions, we build muscle as a national network, and we remind lawmakers that we will hold them accountable in November and beyond, whatever their party.
Because COVID is not just going away - and neither are we. People’s Action is on the case. We will persist, and insist. We will never give up until people get the help and support they deserve.
People's Action Member organizations and partners that participated in the Week of Action included:
Alabama - Hometown Action; Center for Health Environment & Justice Mentoring; Greater Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution * California - Ground Game LA; POWER; SF Rising * Colorado - Colorado People’s Alliance * Idaho - United Vision for Idaho * Illinois - Fair Economy Illinois (The People’s Lobby, ONE Northside, Jane Addams Senior Caucus, Illinois People’s Action + Chicago Student Action) * Indiana - Hoosier Action * Iowa - Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement * Maryland - Progressive MD * Massachusetts - Neighbor to Neighbor * Maine - Maine People’s Alliance * Missouri - Missouri Jobs with Justice * North Carolina - Center for Health, Environment & Justice Mentoring; Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League * New Hampshire - New Hampshire Youth Movement; Rights and Democracy New Hampshire * Nevada - Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada * New Jersey - New Jersey Organizing Project * New York - Citizen Action of New York, Community Voices Heard, Voices of Community Activists and Leaders * Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania Stands Up * Rhode Island - Reclaim Rhode Island * Texas - Center for Health Environment & Justice Mentoring; IMPACT * Vermont - Rights and Democracy VT * Washington - OneAmerica * Wisconsin - Citizen Action of Wisconsin * West Virginia - WV Citizen Action Group
Sondra Youdelman is Campaigns Director for People's Action.
Maybe we need to pick up the phone and hit that email button telling our Senator's to VOTE FOR THE HOUSE BILL AS IS, or you will not EVER vote for them. And it won't matter if they are up for reelection this in '20, or '22 or '24, you will remember the person who refused to help you and caused us to lose our house.
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MAKE A PEOPLE AND SMALL BUSINESS BAILOUT
We taxpayers should receive stimulus money @ $ 2000 twice a month until further notice to spend in the economy = economic growth. WE know how to keep small business employers in business and we know that we create economic growth with our spending which in effect creates new jobs and secures existing jobs.
We taxpayers should receive stimulus money @ $ 2000 twice a month to spend in the economy which would assist to insure job security and plenty of economic growth. Home improvement, tires, food, mortgage or rent, books, school supplies, winter coats, shoes, utility bills, medical bills etc etc. After all tax dollars do belong to the taxpayers.
Unemployed workers should also receive $600 per week. Perhaps until workers are called back to work or new employment is found that pays a part time living wage @ $33,000 annually or a full time living wage @ $64,500 annually.
Taxpayers are a credible investment for they will see that the tax dollars get back into the economy
pronto aka the practical approach.
Reckless decisions by the GOP government has put tens of millions out of work plus thousands of employers out of business..
The employed did not ask the government to treat the potential coronavirus threat as if there was no reason for concern. As a result COVID 19 came upon us and is not going away. Meanwhile the GOP government is still advising no need to worry all will be swell.
No one knows when COVID 19 will go away. Therefore government assistance should remain in place until further notice. Subjecting the nations once employed work force or for that matter any of us to congressional irresponsible behavior every few weeks is not acceptable.
Taxpayers are a credible investment for they will see that the tax dollars get back into the economy
pronto aka the practical approach.
Taxpayers are an investment thus provide strength to the economy = best bang for our tax bucks. I'm sure the lions share of unemployed taxpayers would rather be receiving a paycheck instead of unemployment insurance.
Elected and negligent GOP officials pay themselves more than $3,370 per week ( $174,000-$194,000 annually) plus a variety of expense accounts = Over rated and over paid!
Millions have lost their jobs, More than 200,000 should not have died and thousands of employers are going out of business all due to the negligence of the right wing radical anti american GOP.
Now the USA is the epicenter of COVID 19 due to a monster misinformation
campaign sanctioned by the GOP. How long was COVID 19 traveling about the USA before the misinformation source in chief decided to share the news with the USA?
The employed did not ask the government to treat the coronavirus threat as if there was no reason for concern. As a result COVID 19 came upon us and is not going away. Meanwhile the GOP government is still advising no need to worry all will be swell. Yet more than 200,000 have died. And a few hundred thousand others are still trying to stay alive.
5,000 have died in China.
Why did the Capitol Hill GOP funnel billions upon billons of tax dollars from the COVID relief fund to white collar industries as we speak? This is reckless use of our tax dollars. White collar wealthy do NOT need bailed out.
Elected officials pay themselves more than $3,370 per week ( $174,000-$194,000 annually) plus a variety of expense accounts = Over rated and over paid!
We taxpayers should receive stimulus money @ $ 2000 twice a month until further notice to spend in the economy = economic growth. WE know how to keep small business employers in business and we know that we create economic growth with our spending which in effect creates new jobs and secures existing jobs.
We taxpayers should receive stimulus money @ $ 2000 twice a month to spend in the economy which would assist to insure job security and plenty of economic growth. Home improvement, tires, food, mortgage or rent, books, school supplies, winter coats, shoes, utility bills, medical bills etc etc. After all tax dollars do belong to the taxpayers.
Unemployed workers should also receive $600 per week. Perhaps until workers are called back to work or new employment is found that pays a part time living wage @ $33,000 annually or a full time living wage @ $64,500 annually.