From the New York Times: Senators Edge Closer to Bipartisan Agreement on Economic Rescue Plan
EDITOR'S NOTE: AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) ripped the latest Senate proposal from Republican leaders to deal with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it “an utter disgrace.” The bill gives free money to corporations, ignores the health crisis, and does nothing to keep people working or help the unemployed. What working people are demanding in any rescue package is adequate safety protections, paid sick days, unemployment insurance, quality health care, help paying the bills, free testing, more hospital beds, and an assurance that any bailouts prohibit layoffs, wage and benefit cuts, and the busting of union contracts. Trumka said the labor movement will oppose any Main Street bailout of Wall Street “with everything we have.”
They fell short of Mitch McConnell’s goal of reaching a deal in principle on a $1 trillion plan on Friday, but vowed to work through the weekend.
By Emily Cochrane and Jim Tankersley
WASHINGTON — Senators plan to work through the weekend hashing out a bipartisan deal on a sweeping $1 trillion economic stabilization package that could be enacted within days to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Democratic and Republican negotiators, who huddled with top administration officials throughout the day and into the evening Friday, said they had made significant progress on a number of issues. After nearly 12 hours, they fell short of the ambitious goal set by Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, who had pushed to strike a deal in principle by midnight Friday.