Tell your Senators - Real relief, not corporate bailouts!
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My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
Please continue to oppose Senate Bill 3548, the so-called “CARES Act”. This is a shameless no-strings-attached corporate bailout, not the relief that millions of Americans need as the measures necessary to impede the spread of COVID-19 wreak havoc on our economy.
Please hold strong and demand real relief that puts people over profits, including direct payments to individuals and universal mandatory paid sick leave.
[Feinstein only] And thank you for supporting Senate Bill 1397, the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act. Please continue to push for it to be passed.
Background
Hot off the presses from Indivisible National: Mitch McConnell is trying to pass a platter of corporate bailouts under the American people’s noses, in the guise of bringing us the relief that millions of us need. Tell your Senators to loudly and publicly oppose this and push for real relief for individual people.
Context
Congress has already passed two bills full of emergency relief efforts to address the economic collapse that threatens the country as a result of the necessary but drastic measures people are taking to impede the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (the COVID-19 virus, a.k.a. the novel coronavirus).
Those previous relief bills were not enough, so we need a third. But in lieu of real relief, Sen. McConnell and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin crafted a raft of corporate bailouts with no strings attached that simply doubles down on the same profits-over-people practices that helped get us here. Thanks to Democratic Senators standing united, it failed on Sunday, but we all know the Republican side of the chamber will keep pushing to protect corporate interests and do nothing for real people.
The economy is not exclusively, nor even primarily, powered by corporations. It is powered by people, doing work, making and selling and buying products. If those people have no income and no health care, if they die, there is no economy left to stimulate.
Here’s what National is calling for as an alternative to this scam:
Nationwide vote by mail, as laid out in the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act.
Direct cash assistance to individuals and families, with strenuous requirements attached to any corporate bailouts.
Universal paid sick days, family leave, and expanded Unemployment Insurance to fill in the gaps from the second coronavirus response bill.
People are hurting. People are losing their jobs, closing their businesses, and staring down upcoming rent and mortgage bills without an income, and many people who are treading water are having to continue working even after being exposed or while sick—exactly the opposite of what we need to flatten the curve to avoid overwhelming our hospitals more than they already are.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is climbing the exponential curve. Every day matters when this crisis is growing as quickly as it is. So the Senate must act fast, but not hastily—something must be done, and it must be done immediately, but this is not it.
Our Senators must stand for real people, not corporations, and hold strong against corporate bailout scams and demand a real relief package now. That means any relief package must satisfy three principles:
People Before Corporations. The great bulk of government recovery funds go to people rather than corporations, financial institutions, or industries.
Reject "no-conditions" corporate bailouts. Keep businesses alive but don’t let them use a bailout to jack up profits. Cap executive pay; require worker/public seats on boards; limit on dark money political spending; prohibit using bailout funds to buy back stock.
Equal Treatment for All. All provisions and benefits must be made equally available to all people residing in the U.S. and its territories, regardless of immigration status or their residence in a territory rather than a state.
With regard to S.1397, the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, this crisis must not become an excuse to cancel our elections. Several states have already delayed their primaries, which is concerning. The general election must proceed as scheduled—and the safest way for that to happen is vote-by-mail.
The NDEBA is currently in the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Sen. Harris isn’t on that committee, but Sen. Feinstein is, and she has co-sponsored the bill. We want to express our appreciation when our Senators do the right thing.
Lastly, after you finish sending your message, please wash your hands.