Senate Republicans propose new ‘relief’ bill that ignores struggling Americans and gives aid to coal industry

Senate Republicans just released a Covid-19 ‘relief’ bill that ignores struggling Americans and focuses on providing a $161 million handout to the coal industry. 

Bernie Sanders speaks out against this bill saying: “Senate Republicans tell us we can’t afford to give $2,000 a month to the working class during the economic crisis. But the Covid-19 ‘relief’ bill they just released provides $161 million in corporate welfare to the coal industry during a climate emergency.”

How pathetic. While Senate Republicans tell us we can’t afford to give $2,000 a month to the working class during the economic crisis, the COVID-19 “relief” bill they just released provides $161 million in corporate welfare to the coal industry during a climate emergency. pic.twitter.com/TfusIjAvp4

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 8, 2020

Along with Sen. Bernie Sanders, many progressive advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers find this GOP bill unacceptable. 

“Senate Republicans’ priorities are completely upside down. They’re against providing state and local governments with critical aid to fund public services and schools but in favor of granting businesses immunity from lawsuits related to the coronavirus. The pandemic is already widening social and economic divisions. Shielding corporations from accountability will endanger workers, consumers, and patients, and make the pandemic even worse,” says Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen. 

Imagine watching your citizens plead for relief from an economically devastating pandemic and thinking:

“Quick! We must grant businesses immunity from lawsuits related to the virus!”

This is Mitch McConnell’s COVID bill.

— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) September 8, 2020

According to Common Dreams, the price tag of the Republican proposal was pegged at around $300 billion, making the bill dramatically smaller than the $1 trillion plan the Senate GOP rolled out in July—a proposal that was also deemed woefully inadequate to meet the needs of tens of millions of hungry, jobless, and eviction-prone Americans.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is hoping to have a vote today, but it is expected to fail due to lack of Democratic support. 

As Politico reports, Democrats have been pushing the more than $3 trillion relief bill the House approved in May.