AFSCME urges passage of new House COVID-19 relief bill

WASHINGTON — AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued the following statement urging passage of the new compromise COVID-19 relief bill put forward by the U.S. House of Representatives:

“This pandemic continues to exact a brutal toll, with more than 200,000 Americans dead, millions of jobs lost and essential public services on the chopping block. The urgency is greater than ever for a bill that includes substantial aid to states, cities, towns and schools, as well as additional unemployment insurance, investment in Medicaid and improved coronavirus testing.

“The bill offered by Speaker Pelosi today represents a good faith effort to renew constructive negotiations and finally deliver the relief that families and communities need. The ball is now in the court of Senate Republicans and the White House, as it has been for more than four months. While the Senate has wasted no time trying to illegitimately jam through a Supreme Court nomination, they continue to turn their backs on the suffering and hardship of millions of people, as the worst public health crisis in a century rages on. Speaker Pelosi’s overture provides another opportunity to put progress ahead of partisanship and get something done.”