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
Progressive advocacy groups and unions plan to hold a nationwide day of action targeting Republican senators on July 8, 2020. (Image: MoveOn.org)
'They Are Failing': Nationwide Day of Action to Target GOP Senators for Going on Vacation as Pandemic Surges
"Millions of workers—essential and unemployed—do not have the luxury of a vacation and our elected officials are not entitled to take one during this crisis."
Jul 06, 2020
A coalition of dozens of progressive advocacy groups and labor unions is planning a nationwide day of action in battleground states Wednesday targeting Republican senators for going on a two-week vacation as Covid-19 infections surge and millions of people teeter on the brink of financial ruin.
In Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Iowa, and other states, activists will hold socially distant rallies and deliver "failing" report cards to Republican senators reminding them that "they are responsible for the massive amount of suffering that people are experiencing across the country," the coalition said in a press release Monday.
"Communities across the country are preparing to welcome the senators home with a clear message that they are failing."
--Labor Network for Sustainability
The Service Employees International Union, the American Postal Workers Union, Greenpeace USA, and other groups are calling on the Republican-controlled Senate to take up and pass the HEROES Act, a sweeping stimulus package the House of Representatives approved on May 15.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is set to face Democratic nominee Amy McGrath for his seat in November, has refused to allow a floor vote on the Democratic legislation.
While many progressives consider the HEROES Act insufficient, the bill would extend the $600-per-week boost in unemployment benefits, provide hazard pay for frontline workers, and shore up the finances of the U.S. Postal Service.
"The inaction of the senators is inexcusable," said the Labor Network for Sustainability. "Communities across the country are preparing to welcome the senators home with a clear message that they are failing. Teachers, students, and parents are preparing report cards to deliver to their senators in many states."
"Millions of workers--essential and unemployed--do not have the luxury of a vacation and our elected officials are not entitled to take one during this crisis," the group added. "We will not allow them to ignore us!"
The Republican-controlled Senate adjourned for July 4 recess last Thursday without passing or advancing coronavirus relief legislation despite the dire need for additional relief for frontline workers, the unemployed, and state and local governments. The New York Times reported Saturday that "nearly 28 million households are at risk of being turned out onto the streets because of job losses tied to the pandemic."
Senators are not expected to return to Washington, D.C. until July 20, by which point they will have just three weeks to negotiate and pass legislation before leaving for another scheduled recess on August 10.
"Over 40,000 Americans are diagnosed with Covid-19 every day, thousands are hospitalized, and states are being forced to halt their re-openings to save lives," the coalition said. "Americans are protesting on behalf of Black lives in the streets. Meanwhile, the Senate has left to go on a vacation after refusing to pass the HEROES Act, abdicating its responsibility to do something to protect Americans."
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.
A coalition of dozens of progressive advocacy groups and labor unions is planning a nationwide day of action in battleground states Wednesday targeting Republican senators for going on a two-week vacation as Covid-19 infections surge and millions of people teeter on the brink of financial ruin.
In Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Iowa, and other states, activists will hold socially distant rallies and deliver "failing" report cards to Republican senators reminding them that "they are responsible for the massive amount of suffering that people are experiencing across the country," the coalition said in a press release Monday.
"Communities across the country are preparing to welcome the senators home with a clear message that they are failing."
--Labor Network for Sustainability
The Service Employees International Union, the American Postal Workers Union, Greenpeace USA, and other groups are calling on the Republican-controlled Senate to take up and pass the HEROES Act, a sweeping stimulus package the House of Representatives approved on May 15.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is set to face Democratic nominee Amy McGrath for his seat in November, has refused to allow a floor vote on the Democratic legislation.
While many progressives consider the HEROES Act insufficient, the bill would extend the $600-per-week boost in unemployment benefits, provide hazard pay for frontline workers, and shore up the finances of the U.S. Postal Service.
"The inaction of the senators is inexcusable," said the Labor Network for Sustainability. "Communities across the country are preparing to welcome the senators home with a clear message that they are failing. Teachers, students, and parents are preparing report cards to deliver to their senators in many states."
"Millions of workers--essential and unemployed--do not have the luxury of a vacation and our elected officials are not entitled to take one during this crisis," the group added. "We will not allow them to ignore us!"
The Republican-controlled Senate adjourned for July 4 recess last Thursday without passing or advancing coronavirus relief legislation despite the dire need for additional relief for frontline workers, the unemployed, and state and local governments. The New York Times reported Saturday that "nearly 28 million households are at risk of being turned out onto the streets because of job losses tied to the pandemic."
Senators are not expected to return to Washington, D.C. until July 20, by which point they will have just three weeks to negotiate and pass legislation before leaving for another scheduled recess on August 10.
"Over 40,000 Americans are diagnosed with Covid-19 every day, thousands are hospitalized, and states are being forced to halt their re-openings to save lives," the coalition said. "Americans are protesting on behalf of Black lives in the streets. Meanwhile, the Senate has left to go on a vacation after refusing to pass the HEROES Act, abdicating its responsibility to do something to protect Americans."
A coalition of dozens of progressive advocacy groups and labor unions is planning a nationwide day of action in battleground states Wednesday targeting Republican senators for going on a two-week vacation as Covid-19 infections surge and millions of people teeter on the brink of financial ruin.
In Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Iowa, and other states, activists will hold socially distant rallies and deliver "failing" report cards to Republican senators reminding them that "they are responsible for the massive amount of suffering that people are experiencing across the country," the coalition said in a press release Monday.
"Communities across the country are preparing to welcome the senators home with a clear message that they are failing."
--Labor Network for Sustainability
The Service Employees International Union, the American Postal Workers Union, Greenpeace USA, and other groups are calling on the Republican-controlled Senate to take up and pass the HEROES Act, a sweeping stimulus package the House of Representatives approved on May 15.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is set to face Democratic nominee Amy McGrath for his seat in November, has refused to allow a floor vote on the Democratic legislation.
While many progressives consider the HEROES Act insufficient, the bill would extend the $600-per-week boost in unemployment benefits, provide hazard pay for frontline workers, and shore up the finances of the U.S. Postal Service.
"The inaction of the senators is inexcusable," said the Labor Network for Sustainability. "Communities across the country are preparing to welcome the senators home with a clear message that they are failing. Teachers, students, and parents are preparing report cards to deliver to their senators in many states."
"Millions of workers--essential and unemployed--do not have the luxury of a vacation and our elected officials are not entitled to take one during this crisis," the group added. "We will not allow them to ignore us!"
The Republican-controlled Senate adjourned for July 4 recess last Thursday without passing or advancing coronavirus relief legislation despite the dire need for additional relief for frontline workers, the unemployed, and state and local governments. The New York Times reported Saturday that "nearly 28 million households are at risk of being turned out onto the streets because of job losses tied to the pandemic."
Senators are not expected to return to Washington, D.C. until July 20, by which point they will have just three weeks to negotiate and pass legislation before leaving for another scheduled recess on August 10.
"Over 40,000 Americans are diagnosed with Covid-19 every day, thousands are hospitalized, and states are being forced to halt their re-openings to save lives," the coalition said. "Americans are protesting on behalf of Black lives in the streets. Meanwhile, the Senate has left to go on a vacation after refusing to pass the HEROES Act, abdicating its responsibility to do something to protect Americans."
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.