FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2020
Contact: Emily Phelps | press@indivisible.org
Washington, DC — Today, Indivisible released the following statement in light of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell adjourning the Senate until Labor Day amidst the escalating crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic collapse, and active sabotage of the United States Postal Service:
“Tens of millions of workers have lost their jobs and just had their benefits cut, families are struggling to afford basic necessities like housing and childcare, schools desperately need more resources to operate safely, states require support to get the virus under control, and the President is actively sabotaging the Postal Service to undermine the November election. But yesterday, Mitch McConnell adjourned the Senate without passing a single piece of legislation to address these existential issues. He made it clear what Senate Republicans think about these pressing issues - ‘Not our problem.’
“The House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act on May 15th. McConnell wasted weeks doing nothing in the Senate, only to come to the negotiating table with insufficient aid and outrageous corporate giveaways. His Grim Reaper tactics mean that millions of families are worse off, and enhanced Unemployment Insurance and the national moratorium on evictions expired on July 31st. But that’s all fine and good for McConnell - he closed the Senate and left town.
“Last week, Trump caused more chaos by giving up on negotiations and issuing four Executive Orders. The problem is, the EOs don’t actually solve the crisis - they only make it worse. Trump claims his EOs extend enhanced unemployment insurance, but he’s not telling the truth. His plan cuts benefits for folks out of work by at least $200 a week, and makes states pay for 25% of the cost. States are already paying for Trump’s failure to respond to the crisis, but Trump expects them to pick up the next check. The EOs do not reinstate the nationwide eviction moratorium - they are just empty words for the millions of families facing the prospect of losing their housing during a pandemic. And to top it off, Trump is using the crisis to raid Social Security and Medicare funding by delaying payroll taxes on corporations. This is despicable.
“Meanwhile, Trump’s crony Postmaster General has set out to destroy the Postal Service, causing mail delays for critical packages like prescriptions, and actively reducing capacity to process mail-in ballots for the November election. This is all part of the plan for Trump, who has signaled his intention to undermine the integrity of the election, engage in illegal voter suppression, and delegitimize our democracy. We will not let him get away with it.
“It’s shocking that Republican senators facing an election would feel comfortable going back to their states with nothing to show their constituents.The Senate needs to do their job - get back to D.C., pass the Heroes Act, and stop the sabotage of the USPS and our elections.”
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