Contact: Johanna Kichton, 202.660.0605, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC—People’s Action Director George Goehl today released the following statement in reaction to the bipartisan COVID relief bill being negotiated in Congress: 

“It’s unconscionable that we have COVID relief proposals on the table that deny people direct cash assistance and offer corporations a get-out-of-jail-free card for the consequences of forcing employees to work in dangerous conditions. We need COVID relief that prioritizes a People’s Bailout, not another corporate buyout bill. 

“Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans blocked relief bills for months as 284,000 people died and millions suffered under an economic crisis. A bill that doesn’t include cash assistance fails to deliver on the most simple and direct means of providing short-term relief. 

“Cash payments must be part of this relief package and corporations should be held accountable for their role in exacerbating this crisis. People deserve nothing less.”

###

People’s Action is a national network of 40 state and local grassroots, power-building organizations united in fighting for justice. We operate the largest progressive rural organizing project in the country. People’s Action and its member organizations coordinated one of the biggest distributed organizing programs in rural areas this election season.