WASHINGTON – Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act, a “family-focused” response to Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans’ pro-corporate package.
The bill seeks to expand funding for unemployment insurance, provide student loan relief, extend food assistance programs, and prevent corporations receiving federal assistance from repurchasing stocks. It would also expand safety protections for medical workers dealing with COVID-19 patients — and necessitate that the Trump administration enforce them [1].
In response, Greenpeace USA Senior Climate Campaigner John Noël said:
“House Democrats’ new legislation significantly improves upon Mitch McConnell’s brazen corporate giveaways and unaccountable slush funds, but it must go further. There is a loophole in the bill that fossil fuel companies are eager to exploit. We cannot allow another cent of taxpayer money to be diverted to one of the most profitable and polluting industries on Earth.
“The disruptions we’re seeing as the economic impact of this pandemic accelerates — making next month’s rent, accessing health care, and putting food on the table — have been the status quo for millions of people for years. Handouts to oil and gas CEOs will do nothing to provide millions of American families with long-term prosperity and economic security.
“Congress must address the triple threat of COVID-19, a looming recession, and the climate crisis by shifting to a healthy and just economy free from fossil fuels. By investing in a Green New Deal-style relief effort with support for working families, we can pull ourselves out of all three crises at once. A return to ‘normal’ life is not good enough for those on the frontlines.”