Press Release: Congress Must Close the 'Heroes Gap'
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: February 2, 2021
Contact:
Parker Breza, (612) 383-9555, parker@progressivecaucuscenter.org or
Jessica Juarez Scruggs, (206) 321-0803, jessica@progressivecaucuscenter.org
People Need Relief: Advocates Urge Congress to Close the 'Heroes Gap'
WASHINGTON – The Progressive Caucus Action Fund has published a new legislative analysis highlighting the gap between President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and versions of the Heroes Act that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last year (H.R. 6800 passed on May 15 and H.R. 8406 passed on October 1). Read the full legislative analysis here.
With millions struggling to make ends meet, leading economists estimate that to “stop the bleeding” at least $3 trillion in economic stimulus is needed. The $618 billion stimulus proposed by some Senate Republicans is nowhere close to the necessary scale, and President Biden’s plan is the bare minimum.
Congress should expand on the relief proposed in the American Rescue Plan, not cut it. This analysis offers opportunities to “go bolder” on key priorities, like expanding access to healthcare, cancelling student debt, and providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented essential workers.
The full legislative analysis is available on the Progressive Caucus Action Fund’s website.
“It’s time to listen to working families across the country demanding real relief, not half measures,” said Liz Watson, Executive Director of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund. “The proposal by ten Senate Republicans repeats the mistakes of the past by thinking small despite a clear economic consensus on the need to go big to prevent a slow and painful recovery.
“This is the time to go bold,” said Matt Hayward, Legislative Affairs Director of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund. “Progressives have solutions that meet the scale of this crisis, and many of them have already passed the House in the Heroes Act. Relief payments, unemployment insurance, paid leave, education funding, housing assistance, access to healthcare, and other policies to support working families are vital to a strong recovery.”
The full legislative analysis is available on the Progressive Caucus Action Fund’s website. You can also access a broader Comparison of the Heroes Act and President Biden’s American Rescue Plan here. PCAF experts are available to speak with press.
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The Progressive Caucus Action Fund (PCAF) works to unite stakeholders around common goals, build infrastructure, and fight for policy changes that make a real difference in people’s lives.