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
MoveOn stages a protest against President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 2020. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
'National Day of Mourning' Protests This Week to Condemn GOP Failures Amid Mass Suffering Caused by Covid-19
"This should be political suicide. Let's make sure it is."
May 18, 2020
With Republicans in Congress stonewalling the possibility of any additional coronavirus relief even as tens of millions of people across the U.S are newly out of work, uninsured, hungry, and unable to afford rent, a coalition of progressive advocacy groups is planning nationwide protests this week to condemn GOP obstruction and demand the urgent passage of desperately needed aid for people and families.
On Wednesday, funeral-style actions in more than 20 states across the country will mourn the nearly 90,000 people who have died of Covid-19 and denounce President Donald Trump and the GOP for failing to take sufficiently urgent and bold action against the pandemic. The "National Day of Mourning" was organized by MoveOn, Indivisible, the Center for Popular Democracy, and other groups.
"People should not have to risk their lives and endanger their families to have income in a pandemic. One $1,200 check is not enough. We must ensure every person in this country receives $2,000 a month for the duration of this crisis."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
In Washington, D.C., protestors are expected to drive a 200-car funeral procession from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) residence to the White House, passing the Trump International Hotel along the way. Participants are planning to lay down body bags in front of the White House and eulogize loved ones lost to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A similar action is set to take place in South Carolina, where a funeral procession will begin at a local chapel and end at Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) office. Demonstrators plan to leave mock caskets and photos of deceased loved ones in front of the building.
McConnell said last week that Republicans have not yet felt the "urgency" to act quickly on another relief package, and that attitude does not seem to have changed even after House Democrats on Friday passed the HEROES Act, a $3 trillion bill that would extend beefed-up unemployment benefits, provide another round of one-time $1,200 direct stimulus payments, and authorize $1 trillion in funding for state and local governments.
Progressives criticized the bill as deeply flawed and inadequate to the scale of the crisis, but Republicans in Congress and the president have indicated that they are in no hurry to approve any additional aid.
"I'd put the chance of another bill right now at way less than 50 percent for the foreseeable future," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said Sunday. Earlier this month, Trump said he is in "no rush" to negotiate with Congress on another relief package.
Anonymous congressional sources told Politico that the "most likely" target date for passing additional Covid-19 legislation is July 4.
"The Republican Senate majority has no immediate plans to produce an alternative [to House Democrats' bill]," Politico reported. "Instead, senators are expected to consider a handful of lifetime judicial appointments this week and then head home for the Memorial Day recess."
In response to the GOP's refusal to quickly move ahead with additional economic elief, progressive activist Jordan Uhl tweeted Monday that "millions of people are suffering and Congress is just giving them the finger."
Instead of working on additional economic aid for people, Politico noted, McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) are busy crafting legislation that would shield some businesses from legal responsibility for workers who contract Covid-19 on the job. McConnell has deemed liability protections for corporations his "red line" for any future relief bill.
"Millions of people are suffering and Congress is just giving them the finger."
--Jordan Uhl
"Nearly 90,000 deaths. Jobless claims are up over 30 million," tweeted Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio). "Not only are Senate Republicans refusing to consider the House-passed HEROES Act, they don't even have an alternate plan."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who criticized the HEROES Act as insufficient ahead of its passage last week, is calling on the Senate to take up the House bill and make improvements that ensure economic security and healthcare coverage for all during the Covid-19 emergency.
"People should not have to risk their lives and endanger their families to have income in a pandemic," Sanders tweeted Sunday. "One $1,200 check is not enough. We must ensure every person in this country receives $2,000 a month for the duration of this crisis."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
center for popular democracycoronavirusdemocratic partyindivisiblemitch mcconnellmoveon.orgpandemicrepublican partytrumpismus congress
With Republicans in Congress stonewalling the possibility of any additional coronavirus relief even as tens of millions of people across the U.S are newly out of work, uninsured, hungry, and unable to afford rent, a coalition of progressive advocacy groups is planning nationwide protests this week to condemn GOP obstruction and demand the urgent passage of desperately needed aid for people and families.
On Wednesday, funeral-style actions in more than 20 states across the country will mourn the nearly 90,000 people who have died of Covid-19 and denounce President Donald Trump and the GOP for failing to take sufficiently urgent and bold action against the pandemic. The "National Day of Mourning" was organized by MoveOn, Indivisible, the Center for Popular Democracy, and other groups.
"People should not have to risk their lives and endanger their families to have income in a pandemic. One $1,200 check is not enough. We must ensure every person in this country receives $2,000 a month for the duration of this crisis."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
In Washington, D.C., protestors are expected to drive a 200-car funeral procession from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) residence to the White House, passing the Trump International Hotel along the way. Participants are planning to lay down body bags in front of the White House and eulogize loved ones lost to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A similar action is set to take place in South Carolina, where a funeral procession will begin at a local chapel and end at Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) office. Demonstrators plan to leave mock caskets and photos of deceased loved ones in front of the building.
McConnell said last week that Republicans have not yet felt the "urgency" to act quickly on another relief package, and that attitude does not seem to have changed even after House Democrats on Friday passed the HEROES Act, a $3 trillion bill that would extend beefed-up unemployment benefits, provide another round of one-time $1,200 direct stimulus payments, and authorize $1 trillion in funding for state and local governments.
Progressives criticized the bill as deeply flawed and inadequate to the scale of the crisis, but Republicans in Congress and the president have indicated that they are in no hurry to approve any additional aid.
"I'd put the chance of another bill right now at way less than 50 percent for the foreseeable future," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said Sunday. Earlier this month, Trump said he is in "no rush" to negotiate with Congress on another relief package.
Anonymous congressional sources told Politico that the "most likely" target date for passing additional Covid-19 legislation is July 4.
"The Republican Senate majority has no immediate plans to produce an alternative [to House Democrats' bill]," Politico reported. "Instead, senators are expected to consider a handful of lifetime judicial appointments this week and then head home for the Memorial Day recess."
In response to the GOP's refusal to quickly move ahead with additional economic elief, progressive activist Jordan Uhl tweeted Monday that "millions of people are suffering and Congress is just giving them the finger."
Instead of working on additional economic aid for people, Politico noted, McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) are busy crafting legislation that would shield some businesses from legal responsibility for workers who contract Covid-19 on the job. McConnell has deemed liability protections for corporations his "red line" for any future relief bill.
"Millions of people are suffering and Congress is just giving them the finger."
--Jordan Uhl
"Nearly 90,000 deaths. Jobless claims are up over 30 million," tweeted Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio). "Not only are Senate Republicans refusing to consider the House-passed HEROES Act, they don't even have an alternate plan."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who criticized the HEROES Act as insufficient ahead of its passage last week, is calling on the Senate to take up the House bill and make improvements that ensure economic security and healthcare coverage for all during the Covid-19 emergency.
"People should not have to risk their lives and endanger their families to have income in a pandemic," Sanders tweeted Sunday. "One $1,200 check is not enough. We must ensure every person in this country receives $2,000 a month for the duration of this crisis."
With Republicans in Congress stonewalling the possibility of any additional coronavirus relief even as tens of millions of people across the U.S are newly out of work, uninsured, hungry, and unable to afford rent, a coalition of progressive advocacy groups is planning nationwide protests this week to condemn GOP obstruction and demand the urgent passage of desperately needed aid for people and families.
On Wednesday, funeral-style actions in more than 20 states across the country will mourn the nearly 90,000 people who have died of Covid-19 and denounce President Donald Trump and the GOP for failing to take sufficiently urgent and bold action against the pandemic. The "National Day of Mourning" was organized by MoveOn, Indivisible, the Center for Popular Democracy, and other groups.
"People should not have to risk their lives and endanger their families to have income in a pandemic. One $1,200 check is not enough. We must ensure every person in this country receives $2,000 a month for the duration of this crisis."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
In Washington, D.C., protestors are expected to drive a 200-car funeral procession from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) residence to the White House, passing the Trump International Hotel along the way. Participants are planning to lay down body bags in front of the White House and eulogize loved ones lost to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A similar action is set to take place in South Carolina, where a funeral procession will begin at a local chapel and end at Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) office. Demonstrators plan to leave mock caskets and photos of deceased loved ones in front of the building.
McConnell said last week that Republicans have not yet felt the "urgency" to act quickly on another relief package, and that attitude does not seem to have changed even after House Democrats on Friday passed the HEROES Act, a $3 trillion bill that would extend beefed-up unemployment benefits, provide another round of one-time $1,200 direct stimulus payments, and authorize $1 trillion in funding for state and local governments.
Progressives criticized the bill as deeply flawed and inadequate to the scale of the crisis, but Republicans in Congress and the president have indicated that they are in no hurry to approve any additional aid.
"I'd put the chance of another bill right now at way less than 50 percent for the foreseeable future," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said Sunday. Earlier this month, Trump said he is in "no rush" to negotiate with Congress on another relief package.
Anonymous congressional sources told Politico that the "most likely" target date for passing additional Covid-19 legislation is July 4.
"The Republican Senate majority has no immediate plans to produce an alternative [to House Democrats' bill]," Politico reported. "Instead, senators are expected to consider a handful of lifetime judicial appointments this week and then head home for the Memorial Day recess."
In response to the GOP's refusal to quickly move ahead with additional economic elief, progressive activist Jordan Uhl tweeted Monday that "millions of people are suffering and Congress is just giving them the finger."
Instead of working on additional economic aid for people, Politico noted, McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) are busy crafting legislation that would shield some businesses from legal responsibility for workers who contract Covid-19 on the job. McConnell has deemed liability protections for corporations his "red line" for any future relief bill.
"Millions of people are suffering and Congress is just giving them the finger."
--Jordan Uhl
"Nearly 90,000 deaths. Jobless claims are up over 30 million," tweeted Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio). "Not only are Senate Republicans refusing to consider the House-passed HEROES Act, they don't even have an alternate plan."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who criticized the HEROES Act as insufficient ahead of its passage last week, is calling on the Senate to take up the House bill and make improvements that ensure economic security and healthcare coverage for all during the Covid-19 emergency.
"People should not have to risk their lives and endanger their families to have income in a pandemic," Sanders tweeted Sunday. "One $1,200 check is not enough. We must ensure every person in this country receives $2,000 a month for the duration of this crisis."
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.