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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) puts on a mask after speaking to the media after the Republican's weekly senate luncheon in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on December 8, 2020. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
'Time Is Running Out for Millions': Progressives Rally for People's Bailout as McConnell Pushes Corporate Immunity
"This is the moment to save lives and to boldly chart a path towards a more equitable future through a just recovery from Covid."
Dec 07, 2020
As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's unrelenting effort to give corporations immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits threatens to undermine ongoing relief talks, a coalition of lawmakers and progressive advocacy groups is holding a virtual rally Tuesday evening to demand a "people's bailout" that prioritizes the needs of the millions of Americans on the verge of destitution.
"Time is running out for millions of families facing hunger, eviction, and health crises."
--Sondra Youdelman, People's Action
" Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans refuse to support a real relief package, demanding instead that the government protect companies who force people to work in unsafe conditions during the pandemic," Sondra Youdelman campaign director for People's Action, said in an email Tuesday. "That's unacceptable, and we need the Senate to act now."
Slated to begin at 7:00 pm ET, the event will feature leaders from People's Action, Center for Popular Democracy, Indivisible, the Movement for Black Lives, and other advocacy groups as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
"Time is running out for millions of families facing hunger, eviction, and health crises," said Youdelman. "Join us tonight as we demand real relief for people, not giveaways to corporations."
The rally will take place as congressional negotiators scramble to strike a coronavirus stimulus deal before the end of the year, when more than two dozen federal relief programs are set to expire amid a worsening pandemic and economic crisis.
A major sticking point in the ongoing bipartisan talks continues to be the Republican push for a liability shield to protect corporations from an "epidemic" of lawsuits from workers and customers who contract the coronavirus. According to analysts, the supposed "epidemic" of litigation is not happening.
"McConnell is holding hostage the Covid relief that Americans desperately need, demanding as ransom a grant of immunity to corporations for coronavirus-related wrongdoing."
--Robert Weissman, Public Citizen
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that while McConnell (R-Ky.) is advocating a five-year liability shield for corporations, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah)--part of the bipartisan group of lawmakers behind a $908 billion relief plan--has "proposed that immunity from federal lawsuits only last for 2020." McConnell has not said whether he would be willing to support Romney's proposal.
"McConnell is holding hostage the Covid relief that Americans desperately need, demanding as ransom a grant of immunity to corporations for coronavirus-related wrongdoing," Robert Weissman, president of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, said in statement Tuesday. "Americans need Covid relief, but we shouldn't have to pay for it by sacrificing our health and worsening the pandemic."
Sanders, who is expected to speak at the People's Bailout rally Tuesday, has vowed to vote against the $908 billion bipartisan proposal if it reaches the floor without significant improvements, specifically the removal of corporate immunity provisions and inclusion of another round of direct stimulus payments to U.S. households.
In a "Dear Colleague" letter on Tuesday, Sanders and five Senate Democrats warned that the corporate liability shield would encourage companies to "to avoid implementing the common sense safety standards needed to protect workers and consumers--and make a bad situation worse."
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. |
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As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's unrelenting effort to give corporations immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits threatens to undermine ongoing relief talks, a coalition of lawmakers and progressive advocacy groups is holding a virtual rally Tuesday evening to demand a "people's bailout" that prioritizes the needs of the millions of Americans on the verge of destitution.
"Time is running out for millions of families facing hunger, eviction, and health crises."
--Sondra Youdelman, People's Action
" Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans refuse to support a real relief package, demanding instead that the government protect companies who force people to work in unsafe conditions during the pandemic," Sondra Youdelman campaign director for People's Action, said in an email Tuesday. "That's unacceptable, and we need the Senate to act now."
Slated to begin at 7:00 pm ET, the event will feature leaders from People's Action, Center for Popular Democracy, Indivisible, the Movement for Black Lives, and other advocacy groups as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
"Time is running out for millions of families facing hunger, eviction, and health crises," said Youdelman. "Join us tonight as we demand real relief for people, not giveaways to corporations."
The rally will take place as congressional negotiators scramble to strike a coronavirus stimulus deal before the end of the year, when more than two dozen federal relief programs are set to expire amid a worsening pandemic and economic crisis.
A major sticking point in the ongoing bipartisan talks continues to be the Republican push for a liability shield to protect corporations from an "epidemic" of lawsuits from workers and customers who contract the coronavirus. According to analysts, the supposed "epidemic" of litigation is not happening.
"McConnell is holding hostage the Covid relief that Americans desperately need, demanding as ransom a grant of immunity to corporations for coronavirus-related wrongdoing."
--Robert Weissman, Public Citizen
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that while McConnell (R-Ky.) is advocating a five-year liability shield for corporations, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah)--part of the bipartisan group of lawmakers behind a $908 billion relief plan--has "proposed that immunity from federal lawsuits only last for 2020." McConnell has not said whether he would be willing to support Romney's proposal.
"McConnell is holding hostage the Covid relief that Americans desperately need, demanding as ransom a grant of immunity to corporations for coronavirus-related wrongdoing," Robert Weissman, president of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, said in statement Tuesday. "Americans need Covid relief, but we shouldn't have to pay for it by sacrificing our health and worsening the pandemic."
Sanders, who is expected to speak at the People's Bailout rally Tuesday, has vowed to vote against the $908 billion bipartisan proposal if it reaches the floor without significant improvements, specifically the removal of corporate immunity provisions and inclusion of another round of direct stimulus payments to U.S. households.
In a "Dear Colleague" letter on Tuesday, Sanders and five Senate Democrats warned that the corporate liability shield would encourage companies to "to avoid implementing the common sense safety standards needed to protect workers and consumers--and make a bad situation worse."
As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's unrelenting effort to give corporations immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits threatens to undermine ongoing relief talks, a coalition of lawmakers and progressive advocacy groups is holding a virtual rally Tuesday evening to demand a "people's bailout" that prioritizes the needs of the millions of Americans on the verge of destitution.
"Time is running out for millions of families facing hunger, eviction, and health crises."
--Sondra Youdelman, People's Action
" Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans refuse to support a real relief package, demanding instead that the government protect companies who force people to work in unsafe conditions during the pandemic," Sondra Youdelman campaign director for People's Action, said in an email Tuesday. "That's unacceptable, and we need the Senate to act now."
Slated to begin at 7:00 pm ET, the event will feature leaders from People's Action, Center for Popular Democracy, Indivisible, the Movement for Black Lives, and other advocacy groups as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
"Time is running out for millions of families facing hunger, eviction, and health crises," said Youdelman. "Join us tonight as we demand real relief for people, not giveaways to corporations."
The rally will take place as congressional negotiators scramble to strike a coronavirus stimulus deal before the end of the year, when more than two dozen federal relief programs are set to expire amid a worsening pandemic and economic crisis.
A major sticking point in the ongoing bipartisan talks continues to be the Republican push for a liability shield to protect corporations from an "epidemic" of lawsuits from workers and customers who contract the coronavirus. According to analysts, the supposed "epidemic" of litigation is not happening.
"McConnell is holding hostage the Covid relief that Americans desperately need, demanding as ransom a grant of immunity to corporations for coronavirus-related wrongdoing."
--Robert Weissman, Public Citizen
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that while McConnell (R-Ky.) is advocating a five-year liability shield for corporations, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah)--part of the bipartisan group of lawmakers behind a $908 billion relief plan--has "proposed that immunity from federal lawsuits only last for 2020." McConnell has not said whether he would be willing to support Romney's proposal.
"McConnell is holding hostage the Covid relief that Americans desperately need, demanding as ransom a grant of immunity to corporations for coronavirus-related wrongdoing," Robert Weissman, president of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, said in statement Tuesday. "Americans need Covid relief, but we shouldn't have to pay for it by sacrificing our health and worsening the pandemic."
Sanders, who is expected to speak at the People's Bailout rally Tuesday, has vowed to vote against the $908 billion bipartisan proposal if it reaches the floor without significant improvements, specifically the removal of corporate immunity provisions and inclusion of another round of direct stimulus payments to U.S. households.
In a "Dear Colleague" letter on Tuesday, Sanders and five Senate Democrats warned that the corporate liability shield would encourage companies to "to avoid implementing the common sense safety standards needed to protect workers and consumers--and make a bad situation worse."
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