Sign On: Expand and Extend Benefits to Put Money in the Pockets of Those Who Need It During the Pandemic

From the Coalition on Human Needs (http://www.chn.org):

The pandemic shows no signs of disappearing any time soon. But the Senate has yet to act to help struggling families, the poor and vulnerable throughout our country.

Nearly half of all households have seen losses in income from work. Unprecedented numbers are unable to pay their rent and risk eviction. The most recent data shows one in five households couldn’t pay rent in May. For Black and Latinx households, and households with children, it’s one in four. There are also an alarming number of people throughout the United States who are unable to get enough to eat because of the income losses they’ve sustained during the pandemic.

This is shocking data, and we must not allow ourselves—or Congress—to become numb to the economic hardship caused by the pandemic.

Go to https://actionnetwork.org/letters/add-your-name-demand-the-senate-expand-cash-aid-benefits-to-struggling-families-in-the-midst-of-the-pandemic to tell the Senate: We must extend and expand benefits that put money directly into the pockets of those who need it most. Sign if you agree!

Our country is facing a prolonged economic downturn. Even with the return of millions of jobs in May and June, unemployment remains higher than at any point since the Great Depression. The Federal Reserve estimated the jobless rate will be between 9-10% by the end of this year, and will take years to recover further.

This past spring, Congress approved direct aid to families in the form of stimulus payments and enhanced jobless benefits. Some of these were one-time benefits, while others are set to expire in the coming weeks.

The House passed legislation that would address many of these concerns. But instead of acting, Mitch McConnell and the Senate packed up for a two-week Fourth of July recess.

Tell the Senate: We must extend and expand these cash aid benefits to prevent severe hardship for millions of people and families hardest hit by the pandemic.

The Senate must immediately provide another cash payment with increased aid available for children, whose well-being has been threatened by the lack of the most basic necessities. Under current law, some immigrants were unfairly excluded. In the next round of COVID-19 relief, we must correct that injustice and ensure everyone, including immigrants, will receive essential aid.

Through the HEROES Act, the House passed improvements to the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, both of which will be critical through and beyond the pandemic to battle high unemployment and economic insecurity. Now it’s time for the Senate to act!

Thank you for your support during this challenging time. Together, we will fight to ensure that, in the richest country in the history of the world, families will not struggle to feed their children during a global pandemic.