Less than a day after leaving Walter Reed hospital where he received treatment for COVID-19, Donald Trump announced via Twitter that he has instructed Republicans in Congress to delay a long-discussed stimulus package until after the election. Instead, he’s asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to focus on pushing through the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
In response, Greenpeace USA Program Director Lindsey Allen said:
“Trump is playing games with the health and safety of millions of Americans. More than 200,000 Americans have died and more than 40 million are out of work as a result of Trump’s failed COVID-19 response. His decision to postpone a stimulus that would help working families across the country will no doubt lead to more suffering. It is unconscionable that to do anything other than fast-track the HEROES Act, which would provide critical relief but has been stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate for months. Trump’s staged photo ops and blustering tweets don’t save lives or livelihoods.
“Trump knows he is losing support as Election Day draws near, so he’s doing everything in his power to threaten our confidence in democracy through deception and disruption. His lies about election fraud and chaos are designed to discourage voting and encourage right-wing violence. But the people elect the president and if the people vote Trump out, he will go. We must count every vote — no matter how long it takes — because every vote counts. Ending the climate crisis starts with getting Donald Trump out of office.”
The HEROES Act, passed by the House of Representatives in May, contains critical funding to protect essential workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis and build a more people-powered democracy. The bill contains several key elements of the Essential Workers Bill of Rights as well as $3.6 billion to secure the integrity of our elections while protecting peoples’ health and safety.
ENDS
Contact: Ryan Schleeter, Senior Communications Specialist, Greenpeace USA: +1 (415) 342-2386, [email protected]
