Here’s a crucial reason for working people to do all they can to help Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock win the Georgia Senate runoff elections in January – federal aid to states, cities, towns and schools.
If Ossoff and Warnock prevail, there will be a pro-worker majority in the U.S. Senate. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, as president of the Senate, will cast the tie-breaking vote when the chamber is deadlocked.
With the economy in a tailspin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his allies have refused to provide funding to help communities that are experiencing devastating budget crises. Pro-worker members of the Senate are pushing hard for such aid – which will ensure that public services continue to be delivered in communities around the nation, and the workers who provide them remain on the job.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell and many economists warn that if state and local revenues aren’t propped up, the economic recovery will be further hobbled.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and the resulting economic contraction, has caused massive revenue problems for states, cities, towns and schools. As a result, they are slashing vital public services and laying off public service workers – more than 1.3 million public sector jobs have been lost since the start of the pandemic.
It’s not just “blue” states run by Democrats that are facing revenue crunches. In fact, more “red” states run by Republicans are facing severe fiscal challenges.
More than six months ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her allies passed the Heroes Act, which includes robust aid to states, cities, towns and schools. Yet, despite the sirens ringing from every corner, McConnell continues to stonewall.
There is still time for you to act. Since funding the front lines will depend on shifting the balance of power in the Senate, it’s all hands on deck to ensure victory for the two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan. 5. Victories for Ossoff and Warnock would create a pro-worker majority that will deliver the urgently needed funding that will allow us to get control of the pandemic and get the economy moving again.
You can help in this fight. Click here to join in getting our front-line heroes what they deserve.
