Millions are increasingly desperate. Simply reopening the economy will not be enough, as millions of Americans are fully aware that a pandemic continues and there is no going back to our pre-crisis routine. Texas, for example, just closed its bars after trying to reopen too soon, while Florida is closing some beaches for the July 4 weekend. We must accept that we are closer to the beginning of this crisis than to the end, and that both economic activity and jobs will be depressed for the foreseeable future.
In response to the economic catastrophe, the United States government approved a series of aid packages, especially the CARES Act. This provided more than $ 2 trillion in enhanced unemployment benefits, direct payments, Small Business Administration loans, and money for healthcare and research providers. It is the largest aid package ever approved, but it is not enough to save an economy that has been paralyzed for months. People spent their direct payments weeks ago, and the extended unemployment benefits will be exhausted soon. The CARES Act has kept millions afloat, but time is running out.
Congress is now debating what the next aid package should be like, and it looks like we have come to a standstill. The House of Representatives passed a $ 3 billion HEROES Act in May, with funds for state and local governments, up to $ 6,000 in direct payments to each American household and essential worker risk payment. Republicans in both houses want a return-to-work bonus in lieu of extended unemployment benefits. No one seems to know when the next bill will be passed.
This is a disaster. The focus of Congress for our nation’s economy to be on fire has been to pour insufficient water and then walk away while the fire is still raging. We are just a few weeks away from the mass eviction and widespread despair by millions of Americans who have not been seen since the Great Depression. Food lines already stretch for miles and the situation is rapidly deteriorating in thousands of communities.
So what is the solution? There is a House bill with 40 co-sponsors, the Town’s Emergency Money Act, which would allocate $ 2,000 per month to each adult earning less than $ 130,000 per year for up to 12 months. Married couples earning less than $ 260,000 would receive at least $ 4,000 per month, and families with qualifying children would receive an additional $ 500 per child (for up to three children).
This bill would put the money directly in the hands of the people. It would help tens of millions of Americans overcome this crisis while supporting millions of jobs, as families could order take-out food, repair their cars, and buy groceries every day from hard-working small businesses. Instead of funneling money to businesses and hoping for the best, we should target funds to families. This would give Americans a safe path forward and give us all a real chance to beat this pandemic. It is common sense. It’s direct. It’s effective. It’s popular. It will work.
We are facing a public health crisis that is leading to a new Great Depression. Tens of millions of Americans face despair and hopelessness. It does not have to be this way. Congress must listen to the American people, the people it has sworn to serve, and do the right thing. If it fails, we will see our way of life disintegrate before our eyes, and both Democrats and Republicans will continue to explain to former voters why they did not act in the face of an obvious historical crisis. It has already cost us 120,000 lives and 40 million jobs. This is the time to act, before this crisis becomes even darker for millions.
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