Progressives call for PPE, Biden’s records, and a new Super PAC
and absolutely NO INFO about Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Good morning! We’ve got a few quick stories to get you started this morning so let’s get to it.
Progressive Democrats are calling for essential worker protections in the next coronavirus bill: a total of fifty-seven members of Congress, in fact, are seeking hazard pay and personal protective equipment for essential workers.
There are calls for Joe Biden to release his senatorial records: which may contain evidence relevant to Tara Reade’s sexual assault accusation.
Former Bernie Sanders staffers form a Super PAC in support of Joe Biden’s campaign: and Sanders isn’t happy with the decision to go the Super PAC route.
You ready? I dunno if we are, but we’ll give it our best shot.
CORONAVIRUS
57 Congressional Democrats Call for Essential Worker Protections
Progressive Democrats are making a big new push for what they believe ought to be included in the next coronavirus stimulus package: hazard pay and safety protections for essential workers.
What Are They Seeking?
Lawmakers sent a letter to both Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate. In it, they asked for an “Essential Workers Bill of Rights” to be included in the next stimulus phase.
What measures would be included? Hazard pay for those on the frontlines, childcare funding, and additional protections for workplace safety whistleblowers, among other wants.
The wishlist of provisions was created by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). It was then co-signed by eight additional senators and 47 other members of the House, many of which are members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Important Measures
In the wake of everything happening, these seem like pretty common-sense provisions to include in whatever coronavirus bill ends up getting through Congress next.
Many unemployed folks are banking an extra $600 a week, which has sparked a debate about whether it’s too much (and some may even be making more money on unemployment than they did when they were still working). We don’t think that’s a particularly big concern right now, but what does seem compelling is that those who are still working because they’re designated essential workers aren’t receiving any mandatory hazard pay.
As far as workplace whistleblower protections, the need seems to be there. Amazon has been having plenty of issues with this lately and many Amazon warehouse employees say health precautions are insufficient. Employees need to be able to voice these concerns without fear of being laid off.
Bottom line: this country has a disgraceful record when it comes to taking care of those on the frontlines, to say the least. Let’s hope some of these measures actually make it into the next bill that gets passed so we can take better care of our essential workers.
ELECTION 2020
There Are Now Calls for Biden to Release His Senatorial Records
It’s now clear that Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden aren’t going to just suddenly go away. With the mounting evidence lending to Reade’s credibility, many are still keeping their eye out for facts that could provide some clarity on the alleged assault. One such piece of evidence? Joe Biden’s senatorial records.
What Are These Records?
Back in 2012, Biden delivered nearly 2,000 boxes of documents, files, photographs, and videotapes to the University of Delaware, his alma mater. Those records—which also included 415 gigabytes of electronic records—covered the span of his 36-year Senate career. Initially, those records were to be made public two years after Biden’s last day in elected public office, which would have been January of 2019. However, the day before Biden announced his campaign, that schedule was revised.
Those records would be useful to voters, Reade aside: some of them may help explain some of the more controversial aspects of Biden’s record.
Part of Reade’s story is that she filed a sexual harassment complaint with the Senate against Biden in ‘93. She doesn’t have a copy, nor does the Biden campaign: however, Reade says she was led to believe that the document would have been returned to Biden’s office, meaning it could be in his senatorial documents.
Biden’s campaign hasn’t offered a position on unsealing those documents, though it seems likely that if his campaign gave word to let journalists sift through the records, they would be allowed.
This Could End Up Being a Bad Look
If more evidence ends up coming out between now and November, and Democrats didn’t do everything in their power to get the story straight, this could be pretty damning. Consider also the current state of the Biden campaign.
Hillary Clinton just endorsed Biden at a women’s town hall, just one day after Reade’s neighbor has come out to say that she believes Reade’s accusations are true because she remembers Reade telling her about Biden assaulting her in the mid-90s.
Biden has committed to choosing a woman as his running mate. A credible sexual assault allegation could end up becoming a problem for whoever he picks, too, so the campaign ought to do whatever it can to clear things up before that decision is made.
Bottom line: this could shed some light on Reade’s accusations. Letting the public know what’s in those documents—or at least anything that pertains to Reade’s story—is the right thing to do. Biden should want to clear his name, after all.
ELECTION 2020
Former Sanders Aides Create Super PAC to Support Joe Biden
Bernie Sanders has likely made the American public more aware of what a Super PAC even is than ever before, due to his vehement opposition to them and their ability to raise unlimited sums of money from corporations to contribute to candidates. Now, some former Sanders aides have created their own Super PAC in support of Joe Biden.
Jeff Weaver, a former top aide for the Sanders campaign, is helping create Future to Believe In PAC, a play on Sanders’ 2016 slogan.
Other former Sanders officials from 2020 include Chuck Rocha, a senior adviser who worked on Latino outreach. Tim Tagaris and Shelli Jack, who oversaw digital strategies and worked as a California strategist respectively, are also involved. Lastly, Mark Longabaugh—who left the 2020 campaign early on—are also involved.
According to Weaver, “[Sanders] certainly would prefer we had not done it through a super PAC.” He also says that Sanders isn’t supportive of super PACs generally, nor this one in particular.
Bottom line: a lot of progressives aren’t going to be happy about this move, plain and simple.
END OF THE LINE...
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The Bread Line
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