Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sounded the alarm Tuesday over the news that President Trump is proposing an $850 billion economic stimulus package, a majority of which will come in the form of payroll tax cuts, to help ease the economic distress caused by the coronavirus crisis.
The “Green New Deal” advocate and vocal Bernie Sanders supporter issued her complaint about Trump’s attempts to give Americans more post-tax paychecks in response to a report by Fox News Tuesday.
“[Fox News] has learned that [President Trump] will ask Congress for more than $800 billion in economic stimulus: $500 bil in payroll tax cut, $250 [billion] in Small Business Association loans, $58 billion for the airlines, and a smattering of other items,” Fox News Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts reported via Twitter Tuesday.
Trump’s proposal, said Ocasio-Cortez, is “unacceptable.”
“This is unacceptable,” the left-wing congresswoman tweeted in response to the report. “Trump is using this public health crisis as an opportunity to push tax cuts and corporate bailouts.”
“This is an emergency,” she continued. “We need to help vulnerable people [and] small biz now [with] paid leave, extended unemployment, UBI, Medicaid expansion, [and] mortgage suspensions.”
The radical representative followed her post listing various Democratic policy priorities by giving Trump one thing: the small business loans is “an acceptable consideration,” though she said she has her concerns about that idea, too.
“Expanding small biz loans is an acceptable consideration- but we must avoid allowing this crisis to put millions of people in insurmountable debt,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a follow-up tweet.
She also doesn’t disagree with the $1,000 checks to every American proposed by Trump, but that was “not enough,” she stressed. “Checks to people are good and I applaud the proposal, but it’s not enough. But we need payment suspensions to get people through,” wrote the New York Democrat.
This is unacceptable.
Trump is using this public health crisis as an opportunity to push tax cuts and corporate bailouts.
This is an emergency. We need to help vulnerable people & small biz now w/ paid leave, extended unemployment, UBI, Medicaid expansion,&mortgage suspensions. https://t.co/kOAK3sTFdK
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 17, 2020
Expanding small biz loans is an acceptable consideration- but we must avoid allowing this crisis to put millions of people in insurmountable debt.
Checks to people are good and I applaud the proposal, but it’s not enough. But we need payment suspensions to get people through.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 17, 2020
As reported by Fox News Tuesday, while the Senate takes steps to pass another coronavirus relief bill, the White House is in talks with congressional leaders about a new significant stimulus proposal.
“Fox News has learned that the White House specifically is pushing an $850 billion stimulus, largely in the form of tax relief measures,” the network reported Tuesday. “Roughly $500 billion of this would be tied to a payroll tax cut, while $250 billion would come in the form of Small Business Administration loans and another $58 billion would be directed to the airline industry, among other measures.”
“The $850 billion package would come in addition to another roughly $100 billion package that aims to provide paid sick leave for impacted workers, though the details of that legislation remain very fluid as it moves through Congress,” The Washington Post reported.
The news follows a Monday-night tweet from President Trump indicating that the federal government will take strong steps to help out struggling industries, particularly airlines.
“The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!” Trump tweeted.
Along with voicing complaints about Trump’s proposed stimulus package on Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez also took aim at the coronavirus-hit airlines Trump mentioned in his tweet.
“96% of airline profits over the last decade went to buying up their own stocks to juice the price – not raising wages or other investments,” she tweeted. “If there is so much as a DIME of corporate bailout money in the next relief package, it should include a reinstated ban on stock buybacks.”
96% of airline profits over the last decade went to buying up their own stocks to juice the price – not raising wages or other investments.
If there is so much as a DIME of corporate bailout money in the next relief package, it should include a reinstated ban on stock buybacks.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 17, 2020