THREAD: General Assistance - Senate: listen up. 🚨🚨🚨
We want to raise awareness to folks of all the amendments that were ignored today to speed through and cut General Assistance on behalf of the @PASenateGOP:
They ignored a vote to protect victims of domestic violence.
They ignored an amendment that would protect those in drug treatment programs.
They refused to consider an amendment that would protect GA for those with physical and mental disabilities, including veterans with PTSD.
They didn’t want to hear the amendment that protected GA for caregivers of individuals with disabilities.
They shut down amendments for victims of human trafficking, individuals with HIV/AIDS, and individuals with cancer.
They wouldn’t hear amendments for nonparental caregivers of children with cancer, and of individuals over the age of 65.
They shut down the amendment process to protect those displaced by floods, landslides, fires, and other natural disasters.
They didn’t want an amendment to protect GA for any veterans.
They didn’t want to hear debate on amendments that would mandate studies into the harm of GA cuts.
Y’all get the point. Here is a full list, once again. Next part of the thread will be some context.
The General Assistance Program provides an average monthly benefit of $200 a month. For many this is a short term safety net. Our comrades today at our action talked about using it to buy soap or other toiletries.
FACT: a ton of the funds spent on this program ultimately get reimbursed by the federal government when beneficiaries get enrolled in long term disability. This measure isn’t a way to save money that makes fiscal sense.
Some important context: the budget currently defunds General Assistance and HB33 is another shot to destroy this program.
The legislation pins critical medical assistance funding for hospitals against the General Assistance program. This is by design.
Just want to recap: the @PASenateGOP has quorum proof control of this process, so they OWN the attacks they are perpetrating on domestic violence survivors, human trafficking survivors, veterans, the homeless, children, and more.
In response to this week’s egregious, violent subversion of democracy -- both in Washington D.C. and right here in Pennsylvania -- Hannah Laurison, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Stands Up, issued the following statement: 🧵
Make no mistake: both the insurrection yesterday and the @PAGOP's refusal to seat a duly elected Senator the day before are attacks on our country, on our people, brought on by a president who refuses to accept that millions of us turned out to stand with and for ...
each other and elect @JoeBiden by overwhelming margins.
This is what authoritarianism looks like: a president, dozens of Senators and House Members, and many elected officials at the state level maneuvering to overturn our democracy from within, while encouraging their ...
Last week, together with our chapters, we endorsed a powerful slate of 27 candidates for the PA legislature. These champions are working in the communities where we organize + fighting for a Pennsylvania that works for all of us. #UptoUsPA /THREAD
Today, we celebrate working people. Our work is essential to keep society running: from caring for sick patients to feeding people's families to delivering the mail.
But the wealthy few siphon off the wealth we create, keeping the exorbitant profits for themselves, while essential works struggle to stay healthy and safe, to provide for their families + to pay their rent.
We see the truth in MLK's words that we live in a sick society that takes "necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few."
Now, more than ever, we need a revolution of values to create a more equal society.
Things the PA Legislature should be setting up right now:
✅ an eviction moratorium through the end of the pandemic
✅ rent cancellation from March until the end of the pandemic
✅ universal testing, so we can actually contain this virus
✅ freedom for incarcerated people
✅ more ballot drop boxes so people can easily and safely drop off their ballot
✅ ballot drop boxes at every polling place on Election Day
✅ Medicaid opt-in for anyone who is without insurance during this pandemic
✅ restoration of pandemic unemployment insurance to the previous levels, with retroactive payments from when they stopped.
Yes, most of these cost money. We know. That is why members of Congress need to get to work on these priorities as well!
We’re about to fall over a housing cliff because the state legislature didn’t make any time to prevent it. Meanwhile, they are trying to make last minute changes to our election laws for non existent fraud to disenfranchise voters. It’s time to fight back. inquirer.com/politics/elect…
From Erie to Scranton to Harrisburg to Philadelphia, people are STRUGGLING. They are waving to their grandmothers at the nursing home, working jobs that risk their health, wondering when life is going to be normal again. Taking away people’s housing is dangerous and harmful.
Let’s be abundantly clear about the state of our lives right now. We are all putting in an immense amount of labor, even those of us without jobs, to pull together. The Republicans in majority power in Harrisburg are not. They are taking advantage of our vulnerability.
have weekends lost all meaning to you? why not make some calls to save our democracy?! here’s a link for this weekend. We are partnered up with @LetsTurnPABlue and will be making calls this weekend for @JulieSlomski and @SenatorIovino.
We have discovered through research that our deep canvassing techniques are extremely effective as an organizing tactic, especially during this pandemic. Join us for a training! Link here: mobilize.us/pastandsup/eve…