AFSCME supports House passage of new COVID relief bill, will hold senators accountable

WASHINGTON — AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed a compromise COVID-19 relief bill:

“Speaker Pelosi and the House have stepped up yet again, passing a bill that will deliver critical aid to struggling families and communities during the worst health and economic crisis in a century.

“Even though this bill doesn’t include everything we believe is necessary, it represents another good faith effort to work across the aisle to ensure that millions of Americans get the economic lifeline they desperately need. And it invests in the public services – including health care, child care and sanitation – we need to beat this pandemic and safely reopen the economy.  

“Speaker Pelosi was willing to compromise; now it’s time for the White House and Senate Republicans to show some leadership. To date, Mitch McConnell and his caucus have refused to help working people and our struggling communities. They should, without delay, take up and pass this new bill.

“Each day that Senate Republicans delay reinforces the resolve of public service workers to hold these politicians accountable, to elect Joe Biden the next president of the United States, and to put the U.S. Senate into the hands of pro-worker lawmakers. When we do, we will save the jobs and the services needed to get our economy moving again.”