Press Releases
With Workers in the Lurch, Senate Takes a Vacation
Reaction from Accountable.US President Kyle Herrig:
“As COVID-19 continues to ravage the country, the Senate decided to pack up and leave Washington for a month without making a new deal to assist American workers and small business owners. The luxuries of paid time off and premium health insurance afforded to senators is of little help to the millions of Americans who lost their jobs during this crisis. Where is the urgency to get workers and their families the help they need?”
Where the nation stands as the Senate departs for vacation:
- Almost 1 million more Americans joined the unemployment ranks this week, with the total number of those newly jobless amid the crisis creeping closer to 50 million yet again.
- Two weeks after Congress allowed the additional $600 unemployment benefit allotted in the CARES Act to run out, it appears jobless Americans will be forced to languish for another month without additional assistance to carry them through the crisis.
- The flawed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) remains in place as is without legislation to address the issues in its design and implementation that allowed wealthy, well-connected, publicly-traded companies to cash in while actual small businesses — particularly Black-owned and other minority-owned enterprises — to get boxed out of assistance entirely.
- Millions of Americans are at risk of losing jobless benefits altogether by the end of this year if Congress fails to pass legislation allowing extended eligibility.
- Up to 40 million Americans are at risk of eviction.
- Nearly 30 million Americans are dealing with food insecurity.
###