Let them eat cake.
SOCIAL DISTANCING: SIX FEET APART IS BETTER THAN SIX FEET UNDER!
CORONAVIRUS DASHBOARD
I am sure (NOT MY) pres drump / trump, (NOT MY) vice-pres pence, their administration and generally speaking the gop / greed over people republican party do not give a damn about me or most of us and how we cope with the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic or even if we survive. Other than themselves the only people they care about are those who can make them richer at the lowest cost. Sen Bernie Sanders I VT introduced the Paycheck Security Act on 16 APR 20 with co-sponsors Sen Mark Warner D VA, Sen Doug Jones D AL, and Sen Richard Blumenthal D CT and now co-sponsored by Sen Elizabeth Warren D MA and Sen Amy Klobuchar D MN which will offer grants to fund businesses employee payroll and benefits keeping Americans employed even when businesses are shutdown due to the pandemic. Rep Pramila Jayapal D WA 7th District introduced the Paycheck Guarantee Act in the the House on 10 APR 20 with basically the same goals. Click the link to add you name to the petition to the Senate telling them to pass this legislation. Click here to e mail your senators and here to e mail your representative directly, tell them the Paycheck Security Act and the Paycheck Guarantee Act needs to be passed and then reconciled and passed by Congress ASAP. REMEMBER, you should not be afraid to tell these people what to do as they are working for you and everyone in their respective state and districts. My e mails to my senators and representative are at the bottom of this post if you need some idea on what to say in your e mails.....
As you know, we are not only in the midst of a major pandemic, we also face a catastrophic economic meltdown.
During the last five weeks alone, over 26 million Americans have applied for unemployment insurance — a record breaking number. And, because of our cruel and dysfunctional health care system, many of these workers are also losing their health care coverage.
In the midst of this unprecedented crisis we need a bold and unprecedented response.
That is why I am introducing the Paycheck Security Act to ensure that all workers continue to receive their paychecks and benefits during this pandemic. This bill is being co-sponsored by Senators Warner, Jones, Warren, Klobuchar and Blumenthal.
A recent relief package passed by Congress included more than $25 billion in grants to the airlines. Those grants will guarantee that all airline industry workers can continue to receive their full paycheck and benefits through September.
Now it is time to expand that program to cover all workers in America whose job has been negatively impacted by the health and economic crisis.
That is what the Paycheck Security Act will do, and today I am asking for your support:
It is imperative that we protect workers during this crisis, and one of the best ways to do that is to ensure they can continue to have income and health care.
Here is how the Paycheck Security Act will work:
- It will offer grants to affected businesses and non-profit organizations to cover up to $90,000 in pay for each furloughed or laid off employee, plus benefits.
- It will also provide support to cover a portion of business operating costs including rent, utilities, insurance policies, and maintenance.
- The program will remain active until the economic and public health crisis is resolved.
- Companies receiving these grants must commit to not cut the pay and benefits of rank-and-file workers and offer to bring back any workers laid off since February 1st.
- A single, centralized program established through the Paycheck Security Act will be the simplest way to prevent tens of millions of people from losing their jobs and their health insurance.
Now more than ever, working people should not have to worry about filing for unemployment, finding new health care, or losing their connection to their employer. By keeping their employees on payroll, businesses and organizations can allow them to use this time to upgrade their skills and attend online trainings until they are able to fully return to work. Employees can also coordinate with their team to plan for when they will be ready to re-open.
Continuing to provide pay and benefits is not only the right thing to do for workers — it is also in the best interest of the business. Small businesses are the heart and soul of communities across the country, and allowing them to go under as a result of this pandemic will cause lasting damage that will take years to overcome. With the Paycheck Security Act, businesses can remain in operation and be prepared to re-open when it is safe to do so.
Countries including Germany, France, Norway, Denmark and the U.K. have all successfully adopted similar programs. Now it is time for the U.S. to join them.
This is not a partisan issue. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents agree that Congress must act to keep people on payroll and fully restore wages and benefits for all rank-and-file workers for as long as this pandemic lasts.
Thank you for adding your name in support of the Paycheck Security Act.
In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders
Sanders, Warner, Jones and Blumenthal Unveil Sweeping Policy to Guarantee Workers’ Paychecks
WASHINGTON, April 18 – Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) unveiled a proposal to establish the Paycheck Security Act, a program to cover the wages and benefits of employees of affected businesses and nonprofits until the economic and public health crisis is resolved.
“With 22 million Americans filing for unemployment and up to 35 million expected to become uninsured, we are the only wealthy nation on Earth where our people are losing jobs and health care at precisely the moment that they need them the most,” said Sen. Sanders. “This is a man-made crisis. Our job now is to join the rest of the industrialized world and pass the Paycheck Security Act. This is not a partisan issue: People across the political spectrum agree that Congress has got to build upon previous legislation to keep people on their employers’ payrolls and fully restore the wages and benefits of every rank-and-file worker in America during this pandemic.”
“The health and economic crisis brought on by COVID-19 is unprecedented in American history. More than 22 million people have already filed unemployment claims, and projections suggest that the unemployment rate could top that of the Great Depression by this summer if Congress does not do more to help businesses and workers stay afloat,” said Sen. Warner. “While Congress quickly took some steps with the PPP program and expanding access to disaster relief loans, these early lifelines will not be enough on their own to prevent more job losses and alleviate the economic uncertainty. It will be much less costly to our economy and our country in the long run if we can offer direct grants to businesses facing heavy losses so that they can keep workers on payroll and benefits through the next several months of this crisis. Otherwise, we could see millions more businesses go bankrupt, leave millions more Americans out of work, and make it that much harder to get our economy going again once we get through this public health emergency.”
"While we’re taking drastic steps to ensure the health and safety of the American people, we must also keep our hard-hit small businesses and their employees financially secure,” Sen. Jones said. “The Paycheck Security Act will put existing infrastructure to work to help companies maintain payroll while cutting the red tape that’s slowing down relief to the American workers who need it most. Folks on both sides of the aisle agree we have to do more at the federal level to help small businesses and their employees, especially as it appears we’ll have a slow, staggered process to get folks back to work. This proposal is a creative solution that we can be implemented quickly to help businesses and workers in Alabama and across the country.
“Instead of allowing businesses to go into free fall and trying to pick up the pieces later, we’re proposing a guardrail at the edge of the precipice. Our plan gives workers the steady comfort of a consistent paycheck from an employer they can go back to when the crisis abates. And we’re offering business the ability to hold onto those workers, so they can start up again as easily as possible. If we fail to take aggressive relief measures now, we’ll kneecap our future recovery,” said Sen. Blumenthal.
Under the terms of the Senators’ paycheck security proposal:
- All employers who have suffered a month-over-month drop in revenues of at least 20 percent will be eligible to receive grants covering a portion of payroll and benefits for at least the next six months.
- Grants will cover salaries and wages up to $90,000 for each furloughed or laid off employee, plus benefits, as well as up to an additional 20 percent of revenues to cover fixed operating costs such as rent, utilities, insurance policies, and maintenance.
- Employers and non-profits of all sizes will be eligible if they can verify revenue losses and don’t otherwise have more than 18 months of their payroll available in cash.
- Businesses that have received a Paycheck Protection Program loan or an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or have otherwise accessed the Federal Reserve 13(3) facilities, will be ineligible, unless they exhaust these other programs or use the Payroll Security Program grant to pay back their existing loans.
The Senators released an extensive white paper detailing eligibility, verification, and other contours of their proposal.
“I am delighted that Senate Democrats have introduced a proposal that aligns closely with my proposed federal paycheck guarantee program,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). “I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to quickly pass a paycheck guarantee proposal. Twenty-two million Americans are unemployed and a paycheck guarantee program is the simplest and quickest way to deliver the kind of expansive and immediate relief American workers and businesses desperately need. Mass unemployment is a policy choice and Congress must choose differently to stop the suffering.”
“We are headed toward catastrophic levels of unemployment—20% or higher—and we must act to ensure that millions more workers are paid for as long as this crisis endures by making support for employers who keep workers on payroll simpler, faster and more universal. The Paycheck Security Act does just that,” said Richard L. Trumka, President, AFL-CIO.
“The Paycheck Security Act is a bold program of grants, not loans, appropriately scaled to meet the massive challenge facing workers and firms. Equally important, it’s designed to be quickly and efficiently executed,” said Jared Bernstein, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“The Paycheck Security proposal is the right solution at the right time. It supports workers, keeps businesses afloat, and plays an oversized told in saving the American economy,” said John Bridgeland, former Director of the White House Domestic Policy for George W. Bush. “These Senators recognize that Congress should be supporting employment, not massive unemployment. We need this smart proposal to be enacted now.”
“The most important thing we can do for workers and our economy is keep as many people as possible connected to their jobs, paychecks and healthcare. The best way to do that is to make it easy for employers to keep payroll running--regardless of whether workers are coming in--and at the same time to rein in the worst corporate behavior. That's what we did for aviation workers in the CARES Act, and it's what the Paycheck Security Act would accomplish for tens of millions more workers,” said Sara Nelson, the International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO.
“The Paycheck Security Act addresses the issue we face head on: government keeps businesses alive and workers paid and safe while our economy is in hibernation. It will save tens of millions of jobs and millions of businesses from destruction. Our people and economy will be able spring back to work as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Emmanuel Saez, Professor of Economics, University of California Berkeley.
“To prevent another Great Depression, the government must protect workers and businesses while the coronavirus crisis rages. The Paycheck Security Act provides bold and much-needed support to our communities, allowing workers to remain on payroll and covered by their health insurance. It will save millions of jobs and put the United States on track for a faster recovery,” said Gabriel Zucman, Professor of Economics, University of California Berkeley.
“Workers and their families are paying the price for going into the current crisis with a weak social insurance system and public safety net. Given this pre-existing weakness, transformative responses to this economic crisis have to be put together on the fly, and the Paycheck Security Act is a bold solution to provide needed relief during the lockdown period of the crisis and would put us in much better position to mount a rapid recovery once the public health all-clear was sounded,” said Josh Bivens, Director of Research, Economic Policy Institute.
“We're thrilled the Senators are seeking long-term grant assistance for businesses harmed by COVID-19 in his proposal for the Paycheck Security Program,” said John Arensmeyer, CEO of Small Business Majority. “This will provide a much more streamlined process that will allow businesses to continue to operate and keep people employed, and it will help the most vulnerable small businesses that have been left behind by the inefficient and underfunded Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Senators’ proposal addresses the needs of businesses and their employees now and throughout the rest of this crisis, reducing the need to keep going back to Congress for band-aid fixes.”
CLICK HERE TO READ 'PUTTING WORKERS FIRST: THE PAYCHECK SECURITY ACT (DRAFT WHITE PAPER)
JAYAPAL ANNOUNCES THE PAYCHECK GUARANTEE ACT
JAYAPAL ANNOUNCES THE PAYCHECK GUARANTEE ACT
[SEATTLE, WA] – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, today announced introduction of the Paycheck Guarantee Act to end mass layoffs, keep workers in their jobs and connected to their health care and other benefits, prevent employers of all sizes from being forced to close permanently, and ensure that the economy is ready to restart when the COVID-19 pandemic ends. A white paper on the bill is available here, and a one-page summary is available here.
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that more than 16.8 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the last three weeks, and there is a significant risk of Great Depression-era levels of unemployment and permanently shuttered businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The Paycheck Guarantee Act would put the brakes on mass layoffs and economic decline to enable a speedier and smoother recovery once the crisis ends. The bill creates a streamlined program to provide a three-month federal guarantee for 100 percent of worker salaries of up to $100,000 to ensure employers of all sizes keep workers on the payroll and continue to provide employer-sponsored benefits. This paycheck guarantee would automatically renew on a monthly basis until consumer demand rebounds to pre-crisis levels. The bill also includes strong worker protections and fraud prevention measures.
“A federal paycheck guarantee is a real solution that matches the scale of the crisis. Mass unemployment is a policy choice. We can and should choose differently,” said Jayapal. “A federal paycheck guarantee would stanch more layoffs and unemployment, and quickly and reliably deliver relief to workers. Workers would not be forced to apply for unemployment insurance, overwhelm that system and then have to once again find a job. Businesses of all sizes would be able to keep workers on payroll and benefits—and be able to quickly re-open—partially or fully—without having to rehire and retrain their workforce.”
The Paycheck Guarantee Act is co-sponsored in the House by U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (D-WI), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Andy Levin (D-MI). The bill is also endorsed by leading economists, labor unions, businesses and a diverse set of national and local organizations.
“Congress needs a more forceful response to the job crisis. If nothing changes, the unemployment rate will soon exceed 20 percent. The federal government needs to guard against mass unemployment by guaranteeing paychecks, like many other countries are already doing. Rep. Jayapal’s Paycheck Guarantee Plan is a critically important step that would save millions of jobs and put the United States on track for a faster recovery,” said Gabriel Zucman, professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley.
“With jobless claims reaching nearly 17 million in just the last three weeks it’s clear that Congress needs to do more to stop the economic devastation we are facing as we combat this pandemic. Rep. Jayapal’s bold proposal will keep workers paid, eligible for benefits, and connected to their employers. Keeping these labor market matches intact will provide immediate relief to many workers and it will also ensure that the economy recovers quickly when the pandemic subsides,” said Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute and former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor.
“Congress must take action on the Paycheck Guarantee Act to help to end mass layoffs, keep working people paid and connected to their healthcare and other benefits. This type of bill is vital to ensuring that the economy is ready to restart when the pandemic ends by protecting the health, safety and long-term economic well-being of working people across America,” said Mary Kay Henry, international president of SEIU.
“American families are struggling to pay their bills as unemployment claims skyrocket to numbers we haven’t seen since the Great Depression. To avoid laying off educators as the economy struggles, there needs to be real solutions to keep local and state revenues from drying up during this global crisis. The National Education Association has advocated Congress for an education stabilization fund to keep dramatic cuts from hitting our schools, impacting student services and ensuring educators do not lose their jobs. Congresswoman Jayapal’s Paycheck Guarantee Act is another step forward in this fight because it would provide much-needed relief by helping employers keep workers paid and out of the unemployment line and by keeping workers enrolled in employer-sponsored benefits, including health care — something that’s paramount during a global pandemic,” said Lily Eskelsen García, president of NEA.
“To tackle this pandemic, we’ve asked businesses to close and workers to stay home. But this doesn’t have to result in layoffs. The Jayapal bill will extend a paycheck guarantee to all workers, like the one we secured for aviation workers. Keeping workers paid, connected to their health care, and ready to work again when the virus is contained is good for workers in the short-term and good for our economy in the long-term. This is the best economic policy, but it’s also going to save lives and help our medical professionals because the vast majority of Americans will have the means to stay healthy and be helpful,” said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO.
“The financial devastation of COVID-19 to small businesses and working people has been stunning and threatens to upend our entire economy. We applaud Representative Jayapal’s leadership in developing the Paycheck Guarantee Act, which provides a bold and workable solution that addresses the true severity, scope and potential duration of the financial crisis that small business owners and their employees are facing right now. It is exactly the type of policy that will secure our small business economy and keep millions of workers in their jobs and homes until the threat of the virus has passed,” said Amanda Ballantyne, executive director of Main Street Alliance.
“Marching toward mass unemployment as if it’s inevitable makes absolutely no sense at all. The government is shutting down businesses. It should cover workers’ paychecks and benefits. It’s that simple. Rep. Jayapal’s Paycheck Guarantee Act would do exactly that,” said Liz Watson, executive director of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund.
“As a businessperson focused on both my team members and the economy at large, this plan is not just reassuring but an imperative next step. America needs to help get people back to work and businesses on their feet without missing a beat. This is not a new expense—it’s an investment in long term job and wage growth that will pay itself back many times over,” said Joe Sanberg, co-founder of Aspiration, Inc.
“During this pandemic, every American worker and small business owner should be safe and secure in their job, in their home, and with their health care. The Paycheck Guarantee Act is exactly the kind of bold action that government needs to take right now to support working families in this time of extraordinary need, and in doing so help secure a quicker, more equitable recovery,” said Andy Green, managing director, economic policy, at the Center for American Progress.
“During the last recession, unemployment and under-employment hit Black and brown communities the hardest, and the scale of our current unemployment crisis will deepen our racial wealth gap. Keeping working people on payroll at their employers is the best way to allow working people to minimize the economic dislocation that is compounding our public health crisis. We know that wage theft is rampant during normal times, especially for immigrants, workers of color, and low wage workers—and it is especially critical that workers can enforce their right to keep their income and benefits when the government is guaranteeing it,” said Jennifer Epps-Addison, co-executive director at the Center for Popular Democracy.
The Paycheck Guarantee Act would:
- Cover 100% of wages for workers earning salaries up to $100,000 to ensure that employers keep workers paid and out of the unemployment line
- Keep workers enrolled in employer-sponsored benefits, including health care
- Encourage employers to rehire recently laid-off or furloughed workers by covering payroll retroactively to the start of the crisis
- Cover essential business expenses like rent, to ensure that businesses don’t shutter completely and can re-open when the pandemic ends
- Get support to workers and employers as quickly as possible, using existing payroll tax infrastructure to facilitate delivery of payments
- Keep workers attached to the labor market and businesses ready to reopen, speeding up the economic recovery.
The Paycheck Guarantee Act also includes strong protections from fraud and abuse and converts any overpayments into low or no-interest loans, repayable by the employer. A white paper on the bill is available here, and a one-page summary is available here.
The bill is endorsed by the following national organizations: American Federation of Teachers; Americans for Financial Reform; Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO; Center for American Progress; Center for Economic Policy Research; Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) / CPD Action; Climate Justice Alliance; Community Change Action; Economic Policy Institute; Indivisible; Main Street Alliance; National Domestic Workers Alliance; National Education Association (NEA); People’s Action; SEIU; Strong Economy for All Coalition; and UNITE HERE.
The bill is endorsed by the following state-based and local organizations: ACCE; Arkansas Community Organizations; Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC); CASA in Action; Communities United; Flint Rising; Make the Road Pennsylvania; New Georgia Project Action Fund; One Pennsylvania; and Rights and Democracy.
My e mail to Rep Jennifer Wexton D VA 10th
Senators Sanders, Warner, Jones and Blumenthal have introduced the The Paycheck Security Act, legislation similar to Rep. Pramila Jayapal's Paycheck Guarantee Act introduced in the House on 10 APR 20. I expect you to actively support Rep Jayapal's legislation, to work to get Virginia's congressional delegation to support this legislation and to make sure the legislation resulting from the reconciliation of the Senate and House bills is the best for all Americans and is passed without delay. 26 million Americans have been laid off or their jobs have been elimated, we can not afford not to provide for them. Cuts to the bloated Pentagon budget and elimination of NASA's Moon and Mars programs will be a start to paycheck security funding.
Best regards,
Craig Schwanke
Ashburn, VA
My e mail to Sen Tim Kaine D VA
Senators Sanders, Warner, Jones and Blumenthal introduced the The Paycheck Security Act in the Senate on 16 APR 20, legislation similar to Rep. Pramila Jayapal's Paycheck Guarantee Act introduced in the House on 10 APR 20. I expect you to actively support The Paycheck Security Act, to work with Senators Sanders, Warner, Jones, Blumenthal, Warren and Klobuchar to support this legislation and to make sure the legislation resulting from the reconciliation of the Senate and House bills is the best for all Americans and is passed without delay. 26 million Americans have been laid off or their jobs have been elimated, we can not afford not to provide for them. Cuts to the bloated Pentagon budget and elimination of NASA's Moon and Mars programs will be a start to paycheck security funding.
Best regards,
Craig Schwanke
Ashburn, VA
My e mail to Sen Mark Warner D VA
Thank you for joining with Senators Sanders, Jones and Blumenthal to introduce the The Paycheck Security Act in the Senate on 16 APR 20, legislation similar to Rep. Pramila Jayapal's Paycheck Guarantee Act introduced in the House on 10 APR 20. I expect you to actively support The Paycheck Security Act, to work with Senators Sanders, Jones, Blumenthal, Warren and Klobuchar to lead the Senate to support this legislation and to make sure the legislation resulting from the reconciliation of the Senate and House bills is the best for all Americans and is passed without delay. 26 million Americans have been laid off or their jobs have been elimated, we can not afford not to provide for them. Cuts to the bloated Pentagon budget and elimination of NASA's Moon and Mars programs will be a start to paycheck security funding.
Best regards,
Craig Schwanke
Ashburn, VA
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