10 DAYS TO PREVENT CATASTROPHE
More Than 11 Million Workers Will Begin to Lose Unemployment Benefits Starting on March 14 10 Days From Now — Senate Republicans Respond By Stonewalling American Rescue Plan
WASHINGTON, DC — Today marks day 10 in the “Countdown to Prevent Catastrophe” campaign, which counts the days until the March 14 expiration of unemployment insurance benefits. As more than 11 million workers count on Congress to pass the American Rescue Plan and ensure they’ll be able to keep their homes and put food on the table, Senate Republicans are introducing petty partisan amendments to “infinity” to prevent Americans from receiving crucial economic relief.
The expiration of unemployment benefits on March 14 is only the beginning. Failure to deliver immediate and robust economic relief to Americans will have catastrophic consequences:
- Thousands of struggling small businesses will need to shut their doors without additional aid — like the 400,000 firms before them;
- Millions of families, who have already lost $1.3 trillion in income, will soon no longer be able to pay the rent or put food on the table without a stimulus check;
- Many state and local governments, who already face a $300 billion budget shortfall, will need to lay off more essential workers, curtail their vaccine distribution programs and keep schools shut down without more funding.
Read more here.
“The American people are depending on a handful of Senators to ensure that they continue receiving expanded unemployment insurance. And despite anemic attempts to claim this bill is not bipartisan enough, the American Rescue Plan is a truly unifying bill, broadly supported by Americans of all affiliations,” said Maura Quint, Executive Director of Tax March. “This pandemic is far from over, and people need continued relief so we can all get out from under this societal and economic crisis. There are only 10 days left until we fall off the unemployment cliff, and the Senate needs to give us a working parachute, or risk hitting a wall when they’re up for reelection. It’s past time for Republicans in Congress to care more about their constituents’ lives than they do about the debt ceiling.”
“If Senate Republicans have their way, American families will be in serious trouble when unemployment insurance begins to expire and other key elements of relief like aid to small businesses start to run out,” said Brad Woodhouse, Executive Director of Protect Our Care. “Despite the American Rescue Plan literally being more popular than puppies, Mitch McConnell and his allies are doing everything in their power to tank the American Rescue Plan. This would not only gut unemployment insurance but kill direct relief checks, funding for vaccine distribution, money to reopen schools, measures to lower health care costs, and aid for housing and small businesses. After this vote, it’s going to be very clear to all American families who was there for them during this crisis and who wasn’t.”
“American workers and families are on a perilously steep cliff, and with every attempt to delay the passage of the American Rescue Plan, Senate Republicans are pushing them closer and closer to the edge,” said Maddy McDaniel, communications director for Invest in America Action. “The majority of Americans, including Republicans, agree that Congress needs to act now to deliver the next Covid relief package. Senate Republicans need to quit playing partisan politics with Americans’ lives and start serving the interests of the people they were elected to represent.”
About Invest in America
Invest In America is a national rapid response operation advocating for robust public investment to rescue the economy from the COVID crisis and create prosperity for the future, and to fight back against fear-mongers who use deficit concerns as a scapegoat to starve American communities and businesses of resources.
The operation consists of two components: Invest in America, the charitable and public education arm, which is a fiscally sponsored project of Economic Security Project funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Economic Security Project co-chair Chris Hughes; and Invest in America Action, the advocacy and social welfare arm, which is a fiscally sponsored project of Economic Security Project Action funded by Chris Hughes and the Omidyar Network.
Learn more at InvestInAmericaNow.com and @InvestNowUSA, and InvestinAmericaProject.com.
About Tax March
Tax March is a grassroots movement fighting for a fairer and more equitable tax code, and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. Our organizers across the nation advocate in their communities and in Washington for policies to tax the rich and invest in middle and working class communities. During the coronavirus pandemic, we are calling on Congress and the White House to deliver direct relief to working families, tax the billionaires and big corporations whose wealth has skyrocketed, and rebuild a stronger, more equitable economy.
Join the movement on Twitter and Facebook, or visit us at TaxMarch.org.
About Protect Our Care
Protect Our Care is a national communications, organizing, rapid response, research and messaging center leading the fight to protect and strengthen health care for millions of Americans.
Join the fight at protectourcare.org and @ProtectOurCare.
About Coronavirus War Room
The Coronavirus War Room is a rapid response project of Protect Our Care focused on keeping Americans safe from the threat of the coronavirus. The War Room fights to ensure that every step necessary is taken to end the dual economic and public health crises facing American families.
Join our efforts at coronaviruswarroom.org and @Covid19WarRoom.
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