Washington, D.C. – Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement applauding the passage of the CASH Act, legislation increasing direct payments to $2000 per person, a key priority of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
“Families across the nation are suffering. Millions of people don’t know where their next meal will come from, and millions more are months behind on rent, utilities, and car payments.
“Congress can and must do far more to help families survive this pandemic. For months, economists have been warning us that the risks of doing too little are far greater than the risk of doing too much. We must be bold in our approach to this crisis – as we’ve seen, gridlock and inaction has devastating consequences for public health and the economic security of millions.
“Since March, progressives have been calling for monthly $2000 survival checks and enhanced Unemployment Insurance to give people the financial means to stay healthy and control this pandemic. Earlier this month, we wrote to House and Senate leadership calling on them to include $2000 survival checks in the year-end Covid-19 relief package. Speaker Pelosi was absolutely right to once again challenge Republicans with today’s vote to increase survival checks to $2000. Senate Republicans should take up this bill immediately and help us deliver relief to millions of families.
“Today’s bill is a critical step forward – but we should be very clear that even one-time $2,000 survival checks will not keep families afloat indefinitely. As we begin a new Congress and welcome a new Administration, our top priority must be delivering relief that provides stability and certainty for families across America facing economic devastation, and meets the scale of the crisis.”
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