Progressive Caucus Chair Jayapal Calls Changes to Stimulus Bill ‘Relatively Minor Concessions’

Progressive Caucus Chair Jayapal Calls Changes to Stimulus Bill ‘Relatively Minor Concessions’

Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, praised the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, describing Senate modifications as "relatively minor concessions"—despite her and other progressive lawmakers previously condemning the changes.Progressive Democrats pushed for the inclusion of an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, higher federal unemployment payments and more generous stimulus checks eligibility in President Joe Biden's COVID-19 rescue package. Although these progressive priorities were all included and passed in the original House version of the bill, the Senate stripped the federal minimum wage increase, declined to raise unemployment payments, and limited the number of Americans who were eligible for another round of stimulus checks. Many progressives lawmakers and voters have strongly criticized these adjustments."The American Rescue Plan is a truly progressive and bold package that delivers on its promise to put money directly in people's pockets and decisively crush the coronavirus's spread, which is responsible for our economic crisis. Compared to the response to the Great Recession, this package meets the scale of this unprecedented crisis, delivering the equivalent of seven percent of GDP for the coming year – exactly what economists say is needed to jumpstart our economy and