Americans Desperately Need the Relief Included in the HEROES Act–and More

heroespass

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 15 May 2020
Contact: Derrick Crowe, 512.516.5067 cell, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C.–People’s Action today released the following statement on House passage of the HEROES Act, the latest relief package to address the COVID19 crisis. 

Washington continues to think too small for this crisis, and because of that, it’s clear that we will be back in the next several weeks working on another relief measure. In the meantime, our members desperately need the relief that’s included in this bill, including:  

  • The largest federal rental assistance measures in American history. 
  • Elimination of cost-sharing to encourage people to use their health coverage for COVID19 treatments.
  • Another round of cash assistance to people who desperately need it. 
  • Expansion of  benefits to a large number of immigrants. 

We have been crystal clear about what we need for a true People’s Bailout. That would include cancelling rent and mortgage payments for the duration of the crisis; enrolling the uninsured into Medicare and ensuring everyone in the U.S. can access healthcare if needed; and direct cash payments lasting until the economy recovers. We will continue to push elected officials to include these priorities in this and future relief packages.

The Senate can strengthen this bill and must move with urgency to pass it. 

Instead of legislating to end the suffering of millions of people, Republicans are using racism to divide us. They are encouraging people to terrorize state legislators and public health officials to hide their incompetence. They will do anything, no matter how destructive, to keep looting the country for their rich friends. We won’t let them get away with it.  

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About People’s Action

People’s Action is a national network of 40 state and local grassroots, power-building organizations united in fighting for justice. Our organization recently released a vision for a national Homes Guarantee that has already prompted major legislation from champions including U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida Tlaib. We operate the largest progressive rural organizing project in the country. We recently completed a national forum series that included Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, and Andrew Yang. The Nation called our Iowa forum the “most in-depth, people-powered forum” of the 2020 cycle.