Where in the World Is Kamala Harris?
Vice president–elect Kamala Harris made headlines earlier this year pushing $2,000 checks for all American. But suddenly, despite being desperately needed right now, she’s nowhere to be found on the issue.
276 Articles by: David Sirota
David Sirota is editor-at-large at Jacobin. He edits the Lever and previously served as a senior adviser and speechwriter on Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign.
We Need $2,000 and Real COVID-19 Relief
Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Joe Biden need to do everything in their power to call Donald Trump’s bluff and force a vote to increase the proposed $600 relief checks to $2,000. The fact that they don’t seem to be says a lot about what’s wrong with the Democratic Party.
Joe Biden’s Love of Austerity Cut the Stimulus Bill in Half
We’re in the middle of a brutal pandemic during which millions are suffering. Yet according to the New York Times, Joe Biden actually moved to undercut progressives demanding greater economic aid in the stimulus negotiations, giving “Democrats confidence to pull back on their demands” — and surrender to Mitch McConnell.
Sen. Pat Toomey’s Last-Minute Addition to the Stimulus Bill Will Be a Big Boon to His Wall Street Donors
The Federal Reserve could provide low-interest loans to small businesses and governments struggling under the pandemic as part of the stimulus. But the Fed providing those loans would mean Wall Street wouldn’t get that business, at much higher rates — something Republican Pennsylvania senator Pat Toomey decided on Thursday could not happen.
We Can’t Survive on $600. The New Relief Bill Is Not a Victory.
Democrats refused to seize a rare opportunity to outmaneuver Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. They settled for a COVID relief bill that skimps on benefits, provides tax breaks to the rich, and pulls us toward austerity extremism.
A Millionaire Senate Republican Cited the Deficit To Block Aid — After Enriching Himself With Tax Cuts
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson led the fight to give himself a tax cut of up to $205,000. Now he is citing budget concerns to block emergency $1,200 checks as America faces mass starvation.
It’s Long Past Time for Democrats to Reject Austerity
Democrats have bought the right-wing lie that they must zealously guard against deficits by reining in public spending. The result: mass economic pain and poor performance at the polls. It’s time for Democrats to finally reject austerity.
A New Senate Proposal Would Shield Corporations From All COVID Lawsuits
In a major sop to business interests, a Senate proposal would allow corporations to avoid COVID-related lawsuits from workers and patients. Corporate immunity is the last thing we need.
The Stimulus Bill Subsidizes Defense Contractors While Denying Direct Payments to Workers
The stimulus bill currently under consideration in Congress does not include direct payments to the millions of workers struggling to survive. That’s an outrage — and, as a further slap in the face, the legislation subsidizes defense contractors.
Five Things House Progressives Can Do to Advance Medicare for All
Forcing a House floor vote on Medicare for All isn’t a bad idea. But we should prioritize wielding power over engaging in spectacles — and there are several steps progressive lawmakers like AOC can take to substantively shift power toward Medicare for All’s supporters.
Blackstone CEO Celebrates “Huge Increases in Rents” as Millions Face Eviction
Billionaire Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman bragged that his firm “was a huge winner coming out of the global financial crisis” in 2008. Today, he’s boasting about his firm’s big earnings off high rents, even as millions of tenants face eviction.
The Establishment Is Gearing Up Against Even a Public Option
Tax records we’ve reviewed show a health care industry front group run by a former Hillary Clinton aide has already amassed millions to block a public health insurance option. Even small reform isn’t possible without confronting powerful interests.
Who Will Xavier Becerra Serve as Joe Biden’s HHS Secretary?
Xavier Becerra advocated Medicare for All and tough action against Big Pharma. Too bad the incoming Biden administration he’s set to be a part of as Health and Human Services head has refused to take on the health insurance industry.
Beltway Liberals Aren’t Fighting Biden’s Pro-Corporate Admin Picks Hard Enough
In praising the pro-corporate Washington hacks Joe Biden has chosen to staff his administration, liberal groups are betraying their missions in order to try to gain influence — despite that appeasement strategy rarely working in American history.
Lawmakers Unify to Give Corporate Donors a License to Kill You
A group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers just joined together to shield their corporate donors from lawsuits when they kill more workers. If this legislation passes, corporations won’t be held to account for their criminal actions during coronavirus.
BREAKING: Potential Biden Officials’ Firm Is Promising Big Profits Off Administration Access
Former government officials Tony Blinken, Michele Flournoy, and Lloyd Austin may run Biden’s national security agencies — their firm is telling investors it expects to profit off ties to those officials.
Comcast Got $1 Billion in Public Subsidies. Now It’s Charging the Public New Data Fees.
Comcast received $1 billion in government subsidies. But it’s still imposing new data fees on customers reliant on the internet due to COVID. Thanks to a massive lobbying effort and ties to Joe Biden, the telecom giant might very well get away with it.
New Poll: Majority of Americans Want the Senate to Reject Biden’s Corporate Nominees
An astounding 68 percent of Americans say they want lawmakers to reject corporate executives and lobbyists if they are nominated for Joe Biden’s cabinet posts, according to a new survey.
Tucker Carlson Calls Himself a Populist. He Has No Problem Taking Private Equity Money.
Tucker Carlson pitches himself as a tribune of the people. But new documents reveal that he and other media elites get paid top dollar to speak at fancy conferences hosted by private equity firms, some of the most rapacious, anti-worker actors in American capitalism.
Joe Biden Just Appointed His Climate Movement Liaison. It’s a Fossil Fuel Industry Ally.
Joe Biden says confronting climate change is one of his top priorities. But today, he appointed as his liaison to the climate movement a congressman who has raked in big money from the fossil fuel industry while voting to help oil and gas companies.