Senator Bernie Sanders is calling on his fellow Democrats to reject a $748 billion bipartisan coronavirus relief proposal because it does not include a second round of stimulus checks for millions of suffering Americans.
Sanders slammed the bill as “totally inadequate” and criticized his Democratic colleagues for supporting it after months of pushing for a $2.2 trillion emergency aid package.
“What kind of negotiation is it when you go from $3.4 trillion to $188 billion in new money? That is not a negotiation. That is a collapse,” said Sanders. “We cannot go home until there [are] strong unemployment benefits plus $1,200 per adult, $500 per kid for every working person and family in this country.”
The recent proposal of $748 billion includes funding for education, vaccine distribution, transportation, federal unemployment aid, and small business relief. A $160 billion add-on that has stalled negotiations for months would include aid for state and local governments and a liability shield for businesses against COVID-related lawsuits.
The members of the bipartisan group all agree on the lesser measure and requested that leaders bring it to the floor for a vote this week.
There’s been no word from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on the proposal but last week they indicated they would support a more targeted bill.
Sanders did say that he had given Schumer his opinion on the matter and urged Democrat leaders to not settle for the smaller bill.
“Democrats pass a $3.4 trillion bill, you have the Republicans in the administration talking about $1.8 trillion,” he said. “And now you’re down to about $188 billion in new money [in the bipartisan bill], which does not include one nickel in direct payments for working families in this country.”
He added, “Totally unacceptable, and this has got to be rejected.”
