Bernie Sanders: We cannot rely on Trump. Congress must lead the way in this unprecedented crisis

Wed 8 Apr 2020 06.30 EDT
Opinion
Bernie Sanders

Excerpt:

As long as this pandemic continues, Medicare must be empowered to pay all of the deductibles, co-payments and out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for the uninsured and the underinsured. No one in America who is sick, regardless of immigration status, should be afraid to seek the medical treatment they need during this national crisis.

Obviously, Congress must not only address the pandemic crisis, it must also act with a fierce sense of urgency to effectively deal with the economic crisis as well.

In the last two weeks, a record-breaking 10 million people filed unemployment claims – more than during the entire 2008 Great Recession. Frighteningly, the St Louis Federal Reserve projects that 47 million more people may become unemployed by the end of June, with unemployment reaching 32%. While such estimates may be a worst-case scenario, the reality of the pandemic has taught us that worst-case scenarios are what we must plan for. For the sake of working families all over this country, we must be prepared for all contingencies.

We cannot wait before taking the bold action that is necessary. In my view, it makes a lot more sense to prevent the collapse of our economy than figuring out how we put it back together after it crumbles. Simply stated, that means that every worker must keep receiving his or her paycheck and benefits during the crisis. In the recent emergency relief bill, Congress appropriated over $25bn in grants to the airline companies so that 2 million workers in that industry will continue to receive their full paycheck and benefits through 30 September. And that is exactly what we must do for every worker in America. This is not a radical idea. It is similar to what France, Norway, Denmark, the UK and other countries are doing.

Further, as quickly as possible, we must get money into the hands of people by immediately providing a $2,000 monthly emergency payment to every person in the country until the crisis has passed.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/08/we-cant-rely-on-trump-in-this-unprecedented-crisis-congress-must-lead-the-way

Press Release: Progressive Democrats of America Calls on Bernie Sanders to Stay in the Race

The Nation: Bernie gets personal on the pandemic, politics, and why he's still in the race.

By John Nichols
TODAY 12:18 PM

Excerpt:

The Senator and I spoke for the better part of two hours on the evening of April 1. This was a reasonably open-ended conversation that touched on many topics—including his sense of the transformational moment in which the United States finds itself, his certainty that the government must respond far more boldly to the public health and economic challenges posed by the Coronavirus Pandemic, and the ways in which he is assessing his campaign amid calls for him to quit the race and calls for him to continue. He even explained his lockdown routine. Here are some of the highlights of our conversation.

John Nichols: Let’s begin by putting things in perspective. What’s your sense of where things stand today?

Bernie Sanders: At this particular moment, we are entering into the most frightening and dangerous period in the modern history of this country—certainly in my lifetime.

We are looking at a global pandemic with Covid-19. We do not know how many people will die in America, but the numbers could be in the hundreds of thousands. We don’t know how many people will be infected, but it will certainly be many, many millions.

There are estimates that there may be as many as 30 to 40 million people, maybe more, losing their jobs. Last week, the number of unemployment applications was the highest by far since records have been kept. This week may be even higher.

So you’re looking at an economic crisis of unprecedented magnitude. Going back to the Great Depression, as a comparison, unemployment may actually be higher in this crisis than it was in the 1930’s. And we’re looking simultaneously at a massive healthcare crisis, which could kill hundreds of thousands of people and absolutely disrupt our way of life for all people, including those who are not infected. That’s what we’re looking at!

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/exclusive-interview-sanders-coronavirus/

https://twitter.com/NicholsUprising/status/1247560350641332225

Sanders Statement on Wisconsin Primary

Doctors for Bernie: Statement on COVID-19

The next coronavirus package must prioritize tribal health care and economic support.

"Bernie Sanders: Still Ahead of His Time"

Democrat Sanders calls on Wisconsin to postpone Tuesday primary

APRIL 1, 2020 / 12:19 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Wednesday called on Wisconsin to postpone its April 7 primary, citing the risk from the novel coronavirus.

“People should not be forced to put their lives on the line to vote, which is why 15 states are now following the advice of public health experts and delaying their elections,” Sanders said in a statement. “We urge Wisconsin to join them.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-wisconsin-sanders/democrat-sanders-calls-on-wisconsin-to-postpone-tuesday-primary-idUSKBN21J67M

📺 APR 1 - @BernieSanders will join @mitchellreports on @MSNBC n/t

Photo: FilmTheBern