The Senate returned to work on Monday, July 20 under immense pressure to act on additional COVID-19 relief legislation. Before they went home on recess, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican leadership claimed their next COVID-19 relief package would be about “bringing back jobs and making sure we take care of our kids.” We need your help to make sure that’s more than an empty promise, because our children and families need help now to weather this crisis.
Help us hold Senate leaders accountable for their promises: tell your Senators the next COVID relief package must include meaningful action to take care of our kids NOW.
COVID-19 continues to pose an unprecedented public health, economic, and unemployment crisis across our country that is magnifying the effects of systemic racism and long-standing racial and economic disparities. And the needs of our nation’s most vulnerable children—especially Black children and other children of color, immigrant children, and children in the child welfare system—are growing more urgent each day. Yet for months, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has ignored their suffering and dire need for assistance by refusing to bring to the Senate floor any additional COVID-19 relief legislation.
The good news for the Senate is that we already know exactly what our kids and families need to weather this crisis. But each day the Senate refuses to take action, more children are going hungry, becoming homeless, and falling into poverty.
Research shows that the investment Congress has already made in helping to support our children and families is working, but that it must be sustained and broadened now to keep the growing poverty rate down and make sure we leave no child behind.
The Senate must immediately move forward additional COVID-19 legislation, including the many critical provisions for children and families as included in the HEROES Act, as well as additional measures to get children and families the assistance they desperately need and start to address growing racial disparities in our country.
Tell the Senate what it means to “take care of our kids” – and tell them to act now!