FRIEND GOOD MAN: The House could vote on a new $900 billion coronavirus relief package today, after a deal was reached by congressional leaders on Sunday. Although the legislative text has yet to be released, the package is expected to include $600 relief checks for qualified adults and children and a temporary $300 increase in weekly unemployment benefits. The bill should extend a CDC moratorium on evictions until January 31.

Many economists say a much larger stimulus package is needed to deal with the country’s economic crisis. Last week, 885,000 people filed new claims for unemployment benefits – the highest weekly level in three months. Meanwhile, a new study shows that at least 8 million Americans have been pushed into poverty since the summer.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont spoke from the Senate floor on Friday and denounced the aid deal as, in quotes, “totally inadequate.” He asked for emergency checks of $1,200 for each working-class adult and $500 for each child.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: This country is facing the worst series of public health and economic crises we have seen in over a hundred years. As a result of the pandemic, more people are infected than ever before, right now. Hospitalization is higher than it has ever been before, right now. And more people are dying than ever before, literally day after day.

Now we all hope and pray that the new vaccine will be distributed as soon as possible and that this nightmare will end. But today, the truth is that millions of low-income and middle-class families are suffering in ways they haven’t suffered since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The reality today is that more than half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck, trying to survive on a pittance of $10 or $12 an hour. The reality is that millions of our seniors are trapped in their homes, unable to see their children or grandchildren, unable to get groceries, and many of them are trying to make do with 12,000 $, $14,000 a year in Social Security, and scared of getting the virus and dying. In addition, millions of other disabled people suffer. Moreover, in our country today, one in four workers is unemployed or earns less than $20,000 a year.

And in the midst of this pandemic, because we are the only major country on Earth that does not guarantee health care to all as a right, in the midst of this pandemic, the worst health crisis in a hundred years, more than 90 million people ‘Americans are uninsured or underinsured and unable to go to a doctor when they need one.

Additionally, we have the worst eviction crisis in modern history, some 30 million families fear that because they cannot pay their rent, they risk being left homeless.

That, Mr. President, is where we are today economically. And if this country means anything, if democracy means anything, if the US government means anything, it means we can’t turn our backs on this suffering – not in Vermont, not Wisconsin, not New York, or any state in this country, where people are suffering in unprecedented ways. …

Mr. Speaker, members of Congress should also be aware that we are far behind other major countries in terms of protecting working families during this pandemic. Not only do all other wealthy countries guarantee health care to all as a human right, but almost all of them provide much more generous benefits to unemployed and struggling people in their country than we do in our country.

Mr. Speaker, several months – Madam Speaker, sorry – Madam Speaker, several months ago I introduced a bill, along with Senator Kamala Harris, now our Vice President-elect, and Senator Markey, who during this economic crisis would provide $2,000 a month—$2,000 a month—to every working class person in this country. And frankly, that’s exactly what we should be doing. But, unfortunately, given the conservative nature of the Senate, I understand that will not happen.

Yet at a time of enormous wealth and income inequality, as Senator Schumer has just pointed out, at a time when huge corporations were making record profits, Republican leaders here in the Senate were able to give more a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the 1% and big business.

Yes, at a time when climate change – yes, climate change is real – at a time when climate change is threatening the entire planet, this Congress has been able to provide hundreds of billions of dollars in welfare to oil companies and to the gas and coal companies that are exacerbating the climate crisis.

Yes, the other day here in the Senate and in the House, legislation was passed that would provide $740 billion for the military, the largest military budget in history, more than the next 10 nations combined. We spend more on the military than the next 10 nations combined.

So we could do all of these things – tax breaks for billionaires, massive corporate welfare, huge military spending – but in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Congress is somehow unable respond effectively to the needs of working families. . …

Madam Speaker, in the wake of the pandemic, the government has told restaurants and bars, retail stores, cinemas, schools, malls, small businesses across the country, “Close your doors. It’s too dangerous for you to be open now. And they did it because it’s what public health experts have said is the right thing to do to control this horrible pandemic.

But what the government has failed to do, Madam Speaker, is provide workers who have lost their jobs and incomes as a result of these closures with the help they need to pay their bills and survive economically .

The $600-a-week supplemental unemployment benefit that Congress unanimously passed in March expired in July — more than five months ago. And all the while, the Republican Senate has done nothing to help working families pay their rent, feed their children, see a doctor or afford the life-saving prescription drugs they need. And the Senate hasn’t done enough to help struggling small businesses in Vermont and across the country that are desperately trying to stay afloat.

Also, Madam President, as bad as the economy in general has been, it has been far worse for African Americans and Latinos. During the pandemic, nearly 60% of Latin American families and 55% of African American families experienced either job loss or a pay cut.

Madam Speaker, for nine months we have asked tens of millions of workers in this country to survive on a single $1,200 check – no health care support, no hazard pay support, no for rent relief. Absolutely nothing.

In the meantime, Madam President, I must mention that during this same nine-month period, 651 billionaires in the United States became richer by more than a trillion dollars.

A trillion dollars in increased wealth for the wealthiest people in our country. A $1,200 check for tens of millions of Americans desperately trying to survive. It is unacceptable. It is immoral. And that must change. …

Madam President, in my opinion, the 348 billion dollars of new money, which is included in the proposal under discussion, is totally insufficient, given the nature of the unprecedented crises we are facing. The American people can’t wait any longer. They need economic relief right now. Their children are hungry. They are expelled from their homes. They can’t go to the doctor. They need help, and they need it now. Every working-class American needs $1,200, at least $2,400 for couples and $500 for children.

And let me be clear, to emphasize a point raised by Senator Schumer. And that is to say, what I’m talking about now is money that shouldn’t be taken from other important priorities, like 16 weeks of extra unemployment benefits, help for small businesses, nutrition, housing, education and other important provisions of this bill. We need adequate funding to deal with the unprecedented crises we are facing. We should not and cannot and must not take from Peter to pay Paul. We cannot cut unemployment benefits to help small businesses. We have to do everything now.

FRIEND GOOD MAN: Senator Bernie Sanders, speaking Friday on the floor of the Senate. He wore his mask throughout his speech.

Next, we take a look at President-elect Joe Biden’s climate crisis team, which he announced on Saturday.