President Trump and Congressional Republicans rejected Dems’ compromises and instead, President Trump has issued unworkable executive orders that fail to provide relief for workers and families. By failing to enact the HEROES Act, here is some of what POTUS has left behind:
The President wants a $200-$300 weekly cut to a program that has been overwhelmingly successful, keeping millions of families out of poverty. Economic studies have shown there is no evidence that individuals who received the extra $600 benefit were less likely to return to work.
We need #HCBS and nursing home funds - over 62,000 residents and workers have died. 800,000 seniors and people with disabilities are waiting for home and community based services to protect them against COVID-19. After executive orders: still waiting.
President Trump’s payroll tax change is his latest assault on Social Security and could undermine the Social Security trust fund.
President Trump’s executive actions will not support our Nation’s transit workers who have continued to work during the pandemic, helping others get to their jobs, doctor’s appointments and the grocery store.
They also do nothing to assist small business owners that continue to struggle as a result of COVID-19 and fail to put in place needed enforceable OSHA standards to keep workers at risk of exposure to COVID-19 safe on the job.
The President’s actions also do nothing to provide essential front line workers premium pay or extend emergency paid sick and paid family and medical leave to the millions of workers who are still ineligible for it but desperately need it.
The President’s refusal to work w/ Congress on legislation means no additional federal $$ for Medicaid. Bipartisan governors, advocates from across the country & health care providers have expressed the need to increase the Medicaid FMAP, as was included in the HEROES Act.
Now, with Medicaid enrollment increasing, states could be forced to restrict eligibility, cut critical services and reduce payments for safety net providers, actions which threaten access to care during a national pandemic.
POTUS and Sen. McConnell would like to force state & local governments to go bankrupt rather than help them cover expenses and budget shortfalls due to COVID. Without assistance, we can expect drastic cuts to programs that are essential to public safety, education & job creation.
This means that the Administration is willfully withholding funds for firefighters, sanitation workers, bus drivers, health care workers and all the people who keep our local governments running. Without action, these people could lose their jobs.
POTUS could have extended the eviction ban, but chose not to, leaving millions of Americans at risk of being thrown out of their homes.
President Trump is failing kids and families by neglecting to provide food assistance. According to @CenterOnBudget, last month 905,000 PA households reported not having enough to eat - including 15% of all PA households with children.
An increase in SNAP benefits would also translate into an increase in economic activity and benefits for our farmers, communities, small businesses and local economies.
Childcare is critical to a strong economic recovery, yet POTUS is doing nothing to assist the struggling sector. Without financial assistance, many providers will be unable to safely reopen, leaving children without care and parents unable to return to work.
Public schools need $175 billion to safely reopen, provide remote instruction and ensure every child receives a quality education. Republicans are abandoning working families, and putting the health and safety of students and teachers at risk.
Between 15 and 16 million K-12 students do not have access to adequate broadband or devices for effective distance learning. This “homework gap” disproportionately impacts rural communities and communities of color.
With the vast majority of the Nation preparing for remote learning this fall, President Trump’s executive order does nothing to close the digital divide and help families without adequate access to the internet.
Despite more than 150,000 deaths, President Trump’s proposal has left out money for testing, tracing, treatment. We cannot solve our economic problems until we solve the health problems. The Admin also still doesn’t have a comprehensive plan for vaccine distribution.
We have been calling on the Administration for months to establish a special enrollment period so that people who need health insurance can enroll now. These exec actions do nothing to make it easier for people who are uninsured to find health insurance.
Dems asked for $3.6 billion to protect the wellspring of our democracy and ensure states can conduct elections. Despite this, President Trump’s EOs do nothing to prepare for and safeguard our upcoming November elections.
POTUS would rather tear down the USPS and peddle lies about voting-by-mail than ensure that voters won’t have to decide between casting their ballot and protecting their health. Extra funding for PPE for poll workers and socially distanced polling places is essential.
Extra $$ is also essential for the USPS. As more people vote by mail, the delivery of mail-in ballot applications and the absentee ballots themselves must be efficient and timely to ensure a fair and transparent election.
President Trump and Senate Republicans need to get serious about compromise and meet us halfway. The problems are too big to be solved by unworkable Executive Orders that leave out millions of Americans.
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After years of work to reestablish Scranton rail, today we've reached a milestone that puts us dramatically closer to restoring the Scranton to New York rail line.
Here's what happened 🧵
Today, @RepCartwright and I are announcing a critical step in bringing Amtrak passenger service back to Scranton, thanks to the infrastructure law. The New York - Scranton line will also make stops in NJ, East Stroudsburg, and Mount Pocono. 2/
When finished, the Scranton-New York line will be an economic boost to Northeastern Pennsylvania, bringing in up to $84 million a year in economic activity. /3
Today, I'm releasing my second greedflation a report, which exposes how big food and agriculture businesses are raising prices on your holiday meals.
🧵 Let's take a look. /1
While inflation has slowed, prices for many holiday staple foods have not. This is due to corporations raising prices above the rate of inflation. /2
Let's look at some specifics, while inflation has risen 19% since January 2020 - the prices of chicken, pork, and potatoes have all increased much faster. /3
Today, I'm releasing a report on greedflation that exposes how corporations are making record profits on the backs of American families.
🧵Let's talk about it. /1
While inflation has slowed recently, prices for everyday items have not. That’s because between 2020 and 2022, corporate profits rose by 75 percent—five times as fast as inflation. /2
What does that mean for families? It means you're paying more for products not just to cover higher costs - but so corporations can pad their profit margins. /3
I came to Washington in 2007 with the firm belief that to support and honor Pennsylvania’s deep-rooted hunting culture meant that I should not support restrictions on guns.
Then Sandy Hook happened.
The idea that 26 children and educators could be slaughtered in a matter of minutes because a 20-year-old had virtually unfettered access to weapons of war was too much to bear.
So I changed my position. Now, it’s time for many of my colleagues in the Senate to do the same.
This morning, I held a roundtable with students in Philadelphia to discuss the impacts of gun violence on their lives and communities and what Congress must do to end this epidemic and save lives.
As of 2020, the leading cause of death among children and teens in America is gun violence. It’s a staggering reminder of the breadth and impact of this uniquely American problem.
We cannot simply surrender to this problem.
My Democratic colleagues and I secured $50 million for a new Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevent grant program and the Department of Justice is accepting applications. bja.ojp.gov/funding/opport…
URGENT: In its last months in office, the Trump Administration is seeking to deport vulnerable children and their parents from the Berks Family Residential Center and the South Texas Family Residential Center. (thread)
These parents and children fled unspeakable violence in their home countries in Haiti, Central America and South America. For many of them, deportation is tantamount to a death sentence. /2
Included is this group is a girl (15) who fled Honduras after gang members tried to torture, rape, and kill her; a boy (14) who fled domestic violence and human trafficking in Guatemala; a three-year-old who was ripped from his mother’s arms and held captive by gang members... /3