Dear Editor:

The Democratic-controlled House passed a bill to provide free testing for the coronavirus, as well as paid sick and family leave, strengthened unemployment insurance and increased food aid to ease the hardship on families. 

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act received overwhelming bipartisan support, but not from our 10th District congressman.  

Why? Maybe because it doesn’t provide subsidies to mid-sized to large corporations that can afford paid sick leave for their employees, but choose not to provide this benefit. Could it be he objects to emergency food aid for low-income pregnant women and their young children, senior citizens and food banks? Is allowing states to provide food stamps to make up for lost school lunch benefits, if children are kept home from school, offensive to his Tea Party/Freedom Caucus values?

As of this writing, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act is on its way to the Republican-controlled Senate. Will it languish as has other House bills passed to help the middle class with health care? Will Mitch McConnell continue to practice his mantra of “the Senate is where Democratic legislation goes to die?’ Will our two senators do anything but fall in line?

One can only hope that COVID-19 will bring much needed changes to the U.S. Electing representatives who believe an involved government in times of crisis is good governance will be a start. 

Peggy Perkins


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