Earlier this week, Utah senator Mitt Romney proposed a plan to give every U.S. citizen $1,000 as the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is ongoing. In a speech, Bernie Sanders has now suggested that all U.S. households should receive $2,000 a month instead. He has also called for workers in the gig economy to receive unemployment money until the coronavirus emergency has come to an end.
"In this unprecedented moment, this will require an unprecedented amount of money. My own guess is that we’ll be spending $2 trillion in funding to prevent deaths, job losses, and to avoid an economic catastrophe," Sanders explained. His comments have arrived around the same time Trump suggested that those out of work would receive money soon.
"The onslaught of the Chinese Virus is not your fault!" Trump said in a tweet that really didn't need a racist comment.
Sanders additionally proposed calling the National Guard and the Army Corp of Engineers to build mobile testing centers and help out with hospital facilities. During the speech he made sure to highlight his Medicare For All platform, which undoubtedly seems more appealing to many Americans at this current time. "That is what we should be doing in this moment of crisis," he continued.
The $2,000 disbursements to every U.S. household isn't the only economic relief Sanders has suggested, as he also said unemployment assistance should cover salaries up to $75,000 for anyone who is laid off during this particularly troubling time. "Doesn't matter what work you're doing. If you lose your job, you need unemployment," he said.
As his speech came to an end, he expressed his hope that Congress gets money into the hands of citizens as "quickly as possible."
Despite the sizeable support Bernie Sanders has received, Joe Biden widened his delegate lead in the March 17 primaries. Biden performed well in the Arizona, Florida, and Illinois primaries on Tuesday, inching closing towards the Democratic nomination. The primaries might be overshadowed by the looming presence of the COVID-19 Coronavirus, but it's looking more and more as though the former vice president to Barack Obama will be facing off against Trump later this year.
