Schumer, Pelosi Joint Statement on Trump Coronavirus Announcements
Washington,
D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) today issued the following joint statement after
President Trump signed an executive order and memoranda instead of negotiating
with Democrats to pass meaningful coronavirus relief legislation:
“Today’s meager
announcements by the President show President Trump still does not comprehend
the seriousness or the urgency of the health and economic crises facing working
families. We’re disappointed that instead of putting in the work to solve
Americans’ problems, the President instead chose to stay on his luxury golf
course to announce unworkable, weak and narrow policy announcements to slash
the unemployment benefits that millions desperately need and endanger seniors’
Social Security and Medicare.
“These policy
announcements provide little real help to families. For instance, not
only does the President’s announcement not actually extend the eviction
moratorium, it provides no assistance to help pay the rent, which will only
leave desperate families to watch their debt pile higher. Instead of
passing a bill, now President Trump is cutting families’ unemployment benefits
and pushing states further into budget crises, forcing them to make devastating
cuts to life-or-death services.
“Furthermore,
these announcements do nothing to increase testing, nothing to reopen schools,
nothing to put food on the table for hungry families, nothing to prevent heroes
being laid off across state and local government, nothing to protect the Postal
Service or the integrity of our elections, nothing on many critical needs of
the American people.
“Since the House
passed The Heroes Act twelve weeks ago, more than 3.5 million Americans have
become infected and 70,000 have tragically died. The coronavirus is
moving through our country like a runaway freight train and the economy is
quickly running out of steam. The only solution to crush the virus and
protect working families is to pass a comprehensive bill that is equal to the
historic health and economic catastrophe facing our country.
“Democrats repeat
our call to Republicans to return to the table, meet us halfway and work
together to deliver immediate relief to the American people. Lives are
being lost, and time is of the essence.”
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