The Battle Over the Covid-Relief Bill and Postal Service

FEATURING SARAH ANDERSON – As unemployment benefits for millions of Americans expire in the midst of a pandemic-related economic collapse, House Democrats and Senate Republicans remain far apart on a new Covid-relief bill. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has made it clear that he opposes American workers getting paid the equivalent of $15 an hour in jobless benefits. He and others have backed another round of $1,200 stimulus checks instead. President Trump, who has tried to insist on payroll tax cuts, has threatened to take unilateral action if Congress cannot agree on a bill.

Meanwhile, the US Postal Service, which Americans are increasingly relying on during the pandemic, is being turned from a government-run benefit into a corporate business model. The new Trump-appointed Postmaster has demanded that postal workers delay delivery in order to keep their job schedules on track. Many worry that the new policy is aimed at undermining vote-by-mail efforts.

Sarah Anderson, Director of the Global Economy Project and Co-editor of Inequality.org at the Institute for Policy Studies.