America isn’t ready for coronavirus. In the last 24 hours, millions of school children across the country have been told to stay home for two weeks, or even longer. This is an important public health step to stop the spread, but it also means parents can’t go to work. Democrats in Congress are moving as fast they can on a policy response to the coronavirus that puts our health and safety first with paid sick days, enhanced unemployment insurance, food security, strong protections for frontline workers, widespread and free coronavirus testing, anti-price gouging protections from surprise medical billing, and increased capacity for the medical system. The reality is that these are all things that progressives have spent a very long time fighting for--guaranteed health care, paid sick days and family leave, an end to surprise medical billing, and a strong social safety net. Republicans on the other hand, have blocked them at every turn. It should not take a terrifying national emergency for us to wake up to the realization that we all pay the price when we treat people like they don’t matter. Medicare for All, paid family leave, universal child care, a robust social safety net. These things are not a wish list. They are essentials. Now is the time to put the basic foundation in place that will make us all safer and more secure in good times, and more resilient when disaster strikes.
Donald Trump’s proposal to cut the payroll contribution rate is a stealth attack on Social Security. Even if the proposal were to replace Social Security’s dedicated revenue with deficit-funded general revenue, the proposal would undermine this vital program. Tax cuts do not meaningfully address the coronavirus, or even the resulting market panic. We do want to ensure that people have the cash they need while they face massive uncertainties around employment and other costs. We want people to stay home as much as needed without having to worry about paying their rent or other costs. What we need most is a robust public health response, which the Trump administration is utterly failing to provide.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its worst loss since the 2008 financial crisis in a single day because of the coronavirus’ impact on global trade, leaving many Americans sick with worry. It’s not just a rapidly spreading, mysterious disease that made Americans feel vulnerable. The Dow’s freefall erased millions of dollars from retirement accounts and exposed another kind of epidemic: retirement insecurity. There once was a time when the combination of company pension plans, Social Security and personal savings could carry retirees through their golden years. No longer. Most companies eliminated defined-benefit plans providing a reliable income stream and implemented 401(k) plans that leave workers at the mercy of stock market volatility, like the kind that rattled investors this week and crushed workers in 2008. Under the current, broken system, the rich feather their own nests at everyone else’s expense. They enjoy cushy retirements while average workers struggle to provide for the present, let alone the future. Because of decades of stagnating wages, many workers live paycheck to paycheck. Some juggle multiple jobs. They’re saddled with medical bills and college debt and can’t afford an unexpected $400 expense. Many Americans have nothing to bank for old age. Right now, many worry that their resources will expire before they do.
In the short time since the COVID-19 virus was discovered and made public in Wuhan, a city of 11 million in central China, this new strain of coronavirus - a family of pathogens that includes the common cold, as well as more deadly strains like SARS and MERS - has caused a global public health, social, and economic crisis. Global financial markets have lost nearly $10 trillion in wealth. Consumers are losing confidence as supply chains break down, leaving grocery store shelves bare, and businesses cut back. Some fear the panic in financial markets may trigger a global recession. While there’s no indication climate change played a role in this outbreak, which the World Health Organization calls a “public health emergency of international concern,” the WHO has long warned climate change is likely to create, increase, or spread dangerous diseases. That means we need to take a hard look at the global economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak. They foreshadow the global crises we will all face because of climate change. These crises will demand a global and coordinated response, with an unprecedented level of international cooperation.
The 2020 presidential campaign is well underway, and it’s noisy. Candidates make promises, break promises, offer assurances, and spin the news constantly. What’s one way to get a clear look at their priorities? In the case of a sitting president, by looking at their budget proposals. And when President Trump announced his $4.8 trillion budget recently, he made clear his top priority was continuing to plow more money into war, walls, and Wall Street — and less into everything else. “We’re going to have a very good budget with a very powerful military budget,” he said, “because we have no choice.” This is simply false. Budgets are all about choices, and President Trump’s budget speaks volumes about the priorities and people he has chosen. The Pentagon already has a higher budget than it did at the peak of the Vietnam War. Yet while tens of thousands of troops qualify for food stamps, half of every dollar the Pentagon receives goes to corporate contractors that siphon off more than $350 billion each year. That’s roughly twice the entire budget for taking care of our veterans. Who else wins with this budget? Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose notorious treatment of immigrants and their children shocked the conscience of Americans. Under Trump’s plan, ICE’s budget would double by 2024. Finally, Trump also chose to extend tax cuts that favor the wealthy at a further cost of $1.4 trillion over 10 years. Trump has made his choice. What will ours be?
For the past three years, Trump’s racist, xenophobic, misogynist and pro-corporate policies have made things even worse for the working class, particularly for Black, brown, and other vulnerable communities. Trump can only be defeated by electing a candidate who’s accountable to the masses, not the privileged few. Bernie Sanders has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to the working class. He is a fearless champion in fighting for a fair economy and a just society. Senator Sanders holds the kind of vision for America that addresses the systemic change that is needed; one that places the needs and values of real people first. In 2017, Idahoans unveiled a platform of issues and values that would make a significant difference in their lives. Those positions include fighting for high-quality “Medicare for All,” ending mass incarceration, comprehensive immigration reform, eliminating dependence on fossil fuels that is devastating our planet, making public colleges free for everyone, and making sure the rich and corporations pay their fair share in taxes. Senator Sanders has made our priorities his priorities. Senator Sanders and United Action for Idaho are aligned on our most urgent policy positions, as well as the necessity of building a multi-racial, multi-generational movement of millions of people to fight for them. This is election is a fundamental choice with profound implications for America; ours and future generations. This is a time that requires each one of us doing our part. That means voting for a candidate who will fight for and with us; it means fighting for a country and each other every single day. It means dreaming of possibilities and working together to make them real. We’ve always done this, and we can do it again.
In 2020, we can take back our country for the values we all share - solidarity, justice, and a fair economy - state by state, seat by seat, and vote by vote. But we can only do this with your help. Give now to support People's Action at this critical time.
Progressive Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to activists. Progressive Breakfast and OurFuture.org are projects of People's Action.
Please consider a donation of any size to support our work: DONATE NOW
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Progressive Breakfast, please click here.
