CONGRESS MUST PROVIDE COVID RELIEF

Jump to today’s actions:

Call the Senate
Call the House
Get 2020 Ready

Background

In the next few days, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress will unveil a $908 billion compromise Covid relief bill designed to ease some of the hardships -- from hunger to homelessness -- on millions of families, and keep the broader economy from collapsing.

Components of the plan may include:

Jobless benefits: Extensions of unemployment benefits due to expire Dec. 31. The plan may also include a weekly bonus, between $300 and $600, in jobless benefits.
Direct payments: Trump has supported another round of $1,200 direct payments to most Americans.
State and Local government aid: A priority for Speaker Pelosi, it would help prevent layoffs of police, first responders and sanitation workers among others.
Liability protections: A priority for Sen. McConnell would allow businesses to escape financial responsibility for failing to protect workers.

If it passes, it will be an achievement for a Congress ridiculed for a decade of gridlock. Then, it must be endorsed by an irrational president.

Democrats hope Biden will be able to build on it with subsequent assistance, especially now that Covid is swamping both red and blue states.

Our MoCs should help struggling families but oppose liability shields for businesses that don’t protect their workers.

1. Call the Senate.

Script Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

People need help now. [Optional: One in 6 adults with children in America say their families are hungry. One in 3 adults is having trouble paying their bills. And 1 in 4 small businesses can’t keep their doors open.] Please fight for the bipartisan Covid relief proposal. While I support relief for struggling families and for state, local, and tribal governments, I do not support a liability shield for businesses that do not protect their workers from the virus.

SEN. WYDEN: Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

People need help now. [Optional: One in 6 adults with children in America say their families are hungry. One in 3 adults is having trouble paying their bills. And 1 in 4 small businesses can’t keep their doors open.] Please fight for the bipartisan Covid relief proposal. While I support relief for struggling families and for state, local, and tribal governments, I do not support a liability shield for businesses that do not protect their workers from the virus.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

People need help now. [Optional: One in 6 adults with children in America say their families are hungry. One in 3 adults is having trouble paying their bills. And 1 in 4 small businesses can’t keep their doors open.] Please fight for the bipartisan Covid relief proposal. While I support relief for struggling families and for state, local, and tribal governments, I do not support a liability shield for businesses that do not protect their workers from the virus.

2. Call the House.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

People need help now. [Optional: One in 6 adults with children in America say their families are hungry. One in 3 adults is having trouble paying their bills. And 1 in 4 small businesses can’t keep their doors open.] Please fight for the bipartisan Covid relief proposal. While I support relief for struggling families and for state, local, and tribal governments, I do not support a liability shield for businesses that do not protect their workers from the virus.

Script for Greg Walden (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

People need help now. [Optional: One in 6 adults with children in America say their families are hungry. One in 3 adults is having trouble paying their bills. And 1 in 4 small businesses can’t keep their doors open.] Please fight for the bipartisan Covid relief proposal. While I support relief for struggling families and for state, local, and tribal governments, I do not support a liability shield for businesses that do not protect their workers from the virus.

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

People need help now. [Optional: One in 6 adults with children in America say their families are hungry. One in 3 adults is having trouble paying their bills. And 1 in 4 small businesses can’t keep their doors open.] Please fight for the bipartisan Covid relief proposal. While I support relief for struggling families and for state, local, and tribal governments, I do not support a liability shield for businesses that do not protect their workers from the virus.

Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

People need help now. [Optional: One in 6 adults with children in America say their families are hungry. One in 3 adults is having trouble paying their bills. And 1 in 4 small businesses can’t keep their doors open.] Please fight for the bipartisan Covid relief proposal. While I support relief for struggling families and for state, local, and tribal governments, I do not support a liability shield for businesses that do not protect their workers from the virus.

Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

People need help now. [Optional: One in 6 adults with children in America say their families are hungry. One in 3 adults is having trouble paying their bills. And 1 in 4 small businesses can’t keep their doors open.] Please fight for the bipartisan Covid relief proposal. While I support relief for struggling families and for state, local, and tribal governments, I do not support a liability shield for businesses that do not protect their workers from the virus.

Look up your rep.

3. Save the Senate: GA Run-Offs in January.

Georgia on your mind? We know you're excited to get to work on the upcoming Senate elections in Georgia.

Indivisible Oregon is partnering with Swing Left to write letters and with Reclaim Our Vote to make phone calls. (Reclaim Our Vote postcards are finished, but they are ow making crucial calls to Georgia voters in rural areas who are likely to have been disenfranchised.). Go to https://www.indivisibleor.org/events for information about how to join with us.

Also, those on the ground in Georgia need money. You can donate to:

GA SENATE CAMPAIGNS, which will distribute your contribution among the two Senate campaigns and Fair Fight: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/georgiasenate
RECLAIM OUR VOTE, which is reaching hard-to-reach voters in rural Georgia: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/reclaim-our-vote-preparing-for-2020-fundraising-campaign/
RAPHAEL WARNOCK CAMPAIGN: https://warnockforgeorgia.com/
JON OSSOFF CAMPAIGN: https://electjon.com/
FAIR FIGHT GEORGIA SENATE https://GASenate.com