SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives at the Capitol for a vote on a coronavirus bill amendment on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Sanders Threatens to Demand Stronger Conditions on $500 Billion 'Corporate Welfare Fund' If GOP Moves to Reduce Benefits for Laid Off Workers
"It would be an outrage to prevent working-class Americans to receive the emergency unemployment assistance included in this legislation."
Mar 25, 2020
In direct response to three Republicans threatening to delay the massive $2 trillion stimulus bill agreed to by Senate leaders because they deemed unemployment benefits for American workers in the package too generous, Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday afternoon that he would retaliate in kind if the demand to reduce the financial support for those who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus is not dropped.
"Unless Republican Senators drop their objections to the coronavirus legislation, I am prepared to put a hold on this bill until stronger conditions are imposed on the $500 billion corporate welfare fund," Sanders declared, shortly after Sens. Lindsey Graham (SC), Tim Scott (SC), and Ben Sasse (NE) threatened to delay the Senate bill.
As Common Dreams reported, the three GOP senators claimed in a joint statement that there exists "a massive drafting error in the current version of the coronavirus relief legislation"--but what they really seem to be arguing is simply that the benefits provided to workers in the bill should be reduced.
"In my view," said Sanders in a statement, "it would be an outrage to prevent working-class Americans to receive the emergency unemployment assistance included in this legislation."
Sanders said that unless Graham, Scott, and Sasse--who said at a press conference they will withold their support unless they receive a vote on an amendment to scrape back the benefits--"drop their objections," he is prepared to demand that "any corporation receiving financial assistance under this legislation does not lay off workers, cut wages or benefits, ship jobs overseas, or pay workers poverty wages."
The Vermont senator's objection to the corporate bailout portion of the massive bill has been shared by other progressive critics who worry that even with so-called "oversight" protections, the massive fund will be used by corporations to pad their bottom lines while disregarding the needs of workers.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In direct response to three Republicans threatening to delay the massive $2 trillion stimulus bill agreed to by Senate leaders because they deemed unemployment benefits for American workers in the package too generous, Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday afternoon that he would retaliate in kind if the demand to reduce the financial support for those who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus is not dropped.
"Unless Republican Senators drop their objections to the coronavirus legislation, I am prepared to put a hold on this bill until stronger conditions are imposed on the $500 billion corporate welfare fund," Sanders declared, shortly after Sens. Lindsey Graham (SC), Tim Scott (SC), and Ben Sasse (NE) threatened to delay the Senate bill.
As Common Dreams reported, the three GOP senators claimed in a joint statement that there exists "a massive drafting error in the current version of the coronavirus relief legislation"--but what they really seem to be arguing is simply that the benefits provided to workers in the bill should be reduced.
"In my view," said Sanders in a statement, "it would be an outrage to prevent working-class Americans to receive the emergency unemployment assistance included in this legislation."
Sanders said that unless Graham, Scott, and Sasse--who said at a press conference they will withold their support unless they receive a vote on an amendment to scrape back the benefits--"drop their objections," he is prepared to demand that "any corporation receiving financial assistance under this legislation does not lay off workers, cut wages or benefits, ship jobs overseas, or pay workers poverty wages."
The Vermont senator's objection to the corporate bailout portion of the massive bill has been shared by other progressive critics who worry that even with so-called "oversight" protections, the massive fund will be used by corporations to pad their bottom lines while disregarding the needs of workers.
In direct response to three Republicans threatening to delay the massive $2 trillion stimulus bill agreed to by Senate leaders because they deemed unemployment benefits for American workers in the package too generous, Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday afternoon that he would retaliate in kind if the demand to reduce the financial support for those who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus is not dropped.
"Unless Republican Senators drop their objections to the coronavirus legislation, I am prepared to put a hold on this bill until stronger conditions are imposed on the $500 billion corporate welfare fund," Sanders declared, shortly after Sens. Lindsey Graham (SC), Tim Scott (SC), and Ben Sasse (NE) threatened to delay the Senate bill.
As Common Dreams reported, the three GOP senators claimed in a joint statement that there exists "a massive drafting error in the current version of the coronavirus relief legislation"--but what they really seem to be arguing is simply that the benefits provided to workers in the bill should be reduced.
"In my view," said Sanders in a statement, "it would be an outrage to prevent working-class Americans to receive the emergency unemployment assistance included in this legislation."
Sanders said that unless Graham, Scott, and Sasse--who said at a press conference they will withold their support unless they receive a vote on an amendment to scrape back the benefits--"drop their objections," he is prepared to demand that "any corporation receiving financial assistance under this legislation does not lay off workers, cut wages or benefits, ship jobs overseas, or pay workers poverty wages."
The Vermont senator's objection to the corporate bailout portion of the massive bill has been shared by other progressive critics who worry that even with so-called "oversight" protections, the massive fund will be used by corporations to pad their bottom lines while disregarding the needs of workers.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy