Urge Michigan Senators to Pass COVID Relief for Families

By MUUSJN on Friday, December 11th, 2020

Urge Our Michigan Senators

Senator Debbie Stabenow: 1-202-224-4822

Senator Gary Peters: 1-202-224-6221

Support COVID Relief Package That Throws A Life-line to the Unemployed, Families Facing Evictions & Communities

TELL YOUR SENATORS:

  1. There now is bi-partisan interest in adopting a COVID relief bill before the holiday recess. A $908 billion relief package would protect millions of people who could lose unemployment benefits and millions of people who face evictions from their homes;
  2. This more modest “skinny” COVID relief bill has bi-partisan support from moderate legislators, but it does not extend emergency paid leave for families whose members get sick. Some Republicans insisted that this bill to protect corporations from COVID liability;
  3. On 12/9/20, the U.S. House passed a “Continuing Resolution” to keep the government open another week so Congress can negotiate the 2021 federal budget AND COVID relief;
  4. Urge Michigan Senators to champion a COVID-19 relief package that: extends emergency unemployment benefits; protects families from evictions, includes paid family leave but does NOT protect corporations from liability during the pandemic.

URGE OUR SENATORS TO FIGHT FOR FAMILIES IN NEED

Click HERE to read an article in the 12/9/20 issue of Forbes magazine that describes the provisions of this more modest bi-partisan COVID Relief bill just released on 12/8/20:

  • UNEMPLOYMENT – Provides an additional $300/week in federal supplemental UI benefits between the end of December up until April (benefits would not be retroactive);
  • STATE AND LOCAL AID – The lawmakers have an agreement “in principle” to spend $160 billion in aid for State and Local governments;
  • SMALL BUSINESSES – $300 billion would be allocated to allow small businesses to take out second forgivable Paycheck Protection loans;
  • HEALTH CARE – $6 billion for vaccine development and distribution; $10 billion for testing and tracing; and $35 billion for health care provider relief;
  • EDUCATION – $82 billion for education providers, including K-12 and higher education;
  • HOUSING – Extends eviction moratorium to January 2021 — $25 b. for rental assistance;
  • STUDENT LOANS – Suspends payments of federal student loans through April 2021;
  • LIABILITY – An “agreement in principle” for liability protections for businesses in COVID-related lawsuits:
  • OTHER PROGRAMS – Food; postal service; agriculture; childcare providers; broadband internet; addiction and mental health services.

This week President Trump offered his own $916 billion COVID relief bill that includes $600 stimulus checks, state and local aid and liability protections, but cuts unemployment insurance protections. President Elect Biden has said that he would support the bi-partisan bill as a “down payment” with more COVID relief in 2021.

PLEASE CALL OUR SENATORS (See phone numbers & talking points at the top of this alert.)

Urge them to advocate for meaningful relief for struggling families. We must honor the 443,000 Michiganders who have contracted the COVID-19 disease, the 10,000+ people of our state who died from it and the millions of Americans who are suffering its social and economic consequences.

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