5 KEY DEMANDS FOR THE NEW CORONAVIRUS BILL: Robert Reich

[appalachiablue]

Wed. July 29, 2020.

- 5 Key Demands for the New Coronavirus Bill -

COVID-19 has left the economy in tatters, put millions of people on the brink of financial devastation, and taken the lives of over 145,000 Americans. Congress has just days left to pass legislation that will keep struggling Americans afloat and stave off economic catastrophe.

- Here are five key demands for the new bill:

1. Contain COVID-19. Its catastrophic rates of sickness and death, as well as tragic economic consequences, require the boldest remedies this country is capable of mustering. There will be no economic recovery until the virus is contained.
Other nations – among them, Germany, South Korea, and Italy – have contained the pandemic with comprehensive testing, contact tracing, and isolation. The House of Representatives wants to provide $75 billion for these measures in addition to free access to coronavirus treatment and support for hospitals and other providers. This is the absolute minimum of what’s needed.

2. Extend unemployment benefits to help people survive the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Previous coronavirus relief legislation added $600 to weekly unemployment and extended coverage to gig workers and others not normally eligible. But those payments are about to end for roughly 25 million people. If they do, we can expect more human suffering, and more joblessness because the extra purchasing power has helped sustain the economy. The payments should be continued at least through the end of the year, as the House bill provides.

Some say the extra unemployment benefits have discouraged recipients from seeking jobs. That’s highly unlikely. Given the size of the economic collapse, few jobs are available anyway. And normal unemployment benefits typically pay a small fraction of the wages of jobs that were lost. Even with the extra benefits, working people will have a strong economic incentive to return to work once COVID is contained and these benefits expire. Not to mention it’s good for the economy when people have extra money to spend to sustain remaining economic activity.
Finally, it is beneficial to the public’s health that as many people as possible avoid workplaces that pose any risk of infection. Keeping people home to contain the virus is the only way we get the economy back on track.

3. Prevent a potential wave of evictions and foreclosures. 32 percent of households missed their July rent or mortgage payments. The bill must extend the federal eviction moratorium, and provide assistance for renters and homeowners to pay rent, mortgages, utilities, and other related costs. Substantial additional resources for housing assistance is a no-brainer...Read More, https://robertreich.org/

[SheltieLover]

1. And NO SS payroll tax cuts!

[appalachiablue]

2. Definitely!

[SheltieLover]

3. Dems had better protect SS & Medicare!

[appalachiablue]

4. For sure, keep the sticky fingers off

[SheltieLover]

5. ABSOLUTELY!

Repukes are only driven by greed & cruelty. Shpuld be designated a domestic terrorist organization, imho.

Always manipulating & conniving. 🤬

Can you imagine the stress factors in families looking at evictions? 🤬

All for repuke power play & greed. Sickening.

[area51]

6. To the Greatest Page with you.