Zeldin: GOP 'Relief' Act that Guts Social Security is "A Win"

9/11/20 UPDATE: Despite what Rep. Zeldin would like you to believe, it was important to vote down the Senate Republican's pandemic relief bill, or HEALS Act. It doesn't provide funding for state and local governments; reduces the extra unemployment fro $600 to $200 per week; and keeps the huge tax breaks for millionaires but would gut Social Security. Given another four years, millionaires and big business will continue to thrive at the expense of Long Island's working families.

Zeldin betrayed working families by voting against the HEROES Act. The Covid-19 relief package Zeldin opposed would have given hazard pay to the heroic front line workers who provided essential services in hospitals, pharmacies, medical labs, grocery stores, public transportation, law enforcement, warehouse and distribution centers (like Amazon), education, and the Post Office, among others. (HR 6800, Vote #109, 5/15/2020)

Here’s how the HEROES Act would’ve helped working families:

• Provide stimulus checks of up to $6,000 per household
• Pay frontline workers an extra $13/hour through 2020
• Extend the extra $600 weekly unemployment benefit through Jan,. 2021—in April and May the job losses in Long Island were the highest in the U.S.
• Restore the full SALT deduction
• Save the Post Office—which employs 100,000 veterans nationwide
• Extend unemployment for gig workers, contractors, part-time workers, and the self-employed through March 2021
• Suspend interest and payments on federal student loans through Sept. 2021
• Extend the ban on evictions and help tenants pay their rent and utilities —20% of the folks in NY-01 are renters
• Help homeowners pay their mortgages to prevent defaults, foreclosures, and homelessness.

The bill would also pledge $1 trillion to help state and local governments facing revenue shortfalls including Suffolk and Nassau counties, which may lose up to 375,000 jobs and $61 billion in economic activity this year due to the pandemic.

Who's side is Zeldin on? Votes Don't Lie. Visit https://www.leezeldinrecord.com