Durbin Votes Against Republican Coronavirus Legislation That Fails to Meet The Needs Of The American People
Senate Democrats Continue Fighting To Address The Public Health Crisis & Put Working Families First
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after voting against Republicans’ partisan, “skinny” coronavirus response legislation:
“It has been nearly four months since the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act. And as the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow, Senate Republicans are still refusing to step up and provide families, workers, and local communities with adequate relief in the face of this public health and economic crisis.
“Today’s proposal from Senate Republicans would not provide direct cash payments for families, or hazard pay for essential workers. It would not give relief to states and local communities so they can continue to pay teachers, EMTs, and firefighters. It would cut the enhanced weekly unemployment benefits provided by the CARES Act in half. And it would provide no housing assistance or nutrition assistance for struggling families.
“Even as this proposal falls short of helping American small businesses and families, Republicans are still advocating for corporations which are seeking liability immunity.
“This Republican proposal simply does not prioritize the needs of the millions of Americans facing real hardship in this time of crisis.”
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