democracynow--2020-03-27--U.S. Is #1 in Pandemic: Rep. Omar Blasts Trump for "Wrong Kind of American Exceptionalism"

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : We ’ re broadcasting from the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States .
We ’ re broadcasting from New York City .
The United States is now number one in the world for coronavirus infections , overtaking China and Italy .
The number of cases in the U.S. has surged to 85,000 people .
The number is far higher because of the lack of testing .
As President Trump continues to defy his scientific advisers and downplay the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 1,300 people have died across the U.S. , and the global death toll is more than 24,000 .
As much of the United States and the world is under lockdown , the House of Representatives is voting today on a $ 2 trillion emergency relief package to address the economic crisis caused by the pandemic .
The bill will generate payments to most Americans and includes protections for workers , but it ’ s also a massive bailout for a number of corporations and industries .
The vote comes as a record-shattering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits last week amidst the coronavirus crisis .
This is optician Ali Nelson , who was laid off amidst the pandemic .
AMY GOODMAN : For more , we go to Washington , D.C. , where we ’ re joined by Congressmember Ilhan Omar of Minnesota .
She ’ s the first Somali American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives , one of the first Muslim women in Congress along with Rashida Tlaib of Michigan , and she ’ s the only refugee , a refugee from Africa .
Welcome back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Can you talk today about what you are voting on ?
Can you talk about this massive , the largest bill , relief bill , in the history of United States ?
What concerns you most ?
Why are you supporting it ?
REP. ILHAN OMAR : Thank you , Amy , for having me .
I was just listening to you go through the story , and being the epicenter of this pandemic truly is the wrong kind of American exceptionalism .
We would like to be on top of every list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should never really aspire to be on .
And I think this crisis and this pandemic really lays bare the kind of inequalities that have existed for far too long in our country .
And the conversations we ’ re having right now as we put forth our third relief package shows us that there is often a prioritization of corporate interests and often not a prioritization of the interests of the people .
So , today I plan on voting for this bill , not because it ’ s perfect or it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think , in a time where we are facing one of the largest crises we ’ ve faced in our country , it ’ s going to be really important for us to do everything that we can to protect the lives and the livelihoods of the people of this country .
My home state , just in 10 days , there has been 165,000 people who filed for unemployment insurance .
And nationwide , as you said , it ’ s 3.3 million .
And so we have to make sure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliver relief .
So , a few of the things that are in this package really align with the progressive vision that we ’ ve had and some of the bills that I ’ ve introduced as we ’ ve gone through this crisis .
One is that it will offer cash relief .
It ’ s not the kind of universal or monthly cash relief that I had championed , but it will be helpful to a lot of people .
We are also seeing exceptional expansion of unemployment insurance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanks to Senator Bernie Sanders , who made sure that we had that in there .
For the first time , we saw Republicans get bent out of shape because Americans who are poor might be able to get a few extra dollars , even though they are going to be the most in need during this crisis .
We ’ re also seeing an expansion of the unemployment insurance , where it will cover people who are new — who have had a new entrance into the job market , people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or are forced to isolate .
And so , it is going to be a helpful package in that regard .
We ’ re going to see real relief for small businesses .
In my district , in the Minnesota 5th , we ’ re seeing a real squeeze and pain being felt by small businesses .
And so I introduced the ABLE Act , and I believe this package currently allows for the vision that I had to be actualized .
We also heard so much from our local municipalities , big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis and 15 suburban cities , and so we know that many of them need the relief that comes — that ’ s coming in this package toward states and local municipalities .
There are many governors and mayors around the country , like our governor , Walz , who are showing exceptional leadership , who are not downplaying this pandemic , who are doing everything that they can to protect the public , provide relief .
Minnesota is one of the few states that has put a moratorium on eviction .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure that there is support for people .
We also have a sort of a lockdown in place that helps curb the spread of this virus — visions that we have for the country that are being carried out by the leadership in Minnesota .
AMY GOODMAN : So , Congressmember Omar , let me ask you .
The bill includes a $ 1,200 one-time payment to most Americans , with $ 500 in addition for kids .
You have called for getting cash in people ’ s hands ; it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are people going to get this money , even those that get this one-shot deal , people in the gig economy ?
How is it delivered to them ?
REP. ILHAN OMAR : Yeah , that really is the one piece that this bill is very divergent from the vision that I had and many others had .
We expected that it would go through the IRS and Social Security to make sure everyone would be able to get the money that they need .
And now we ’ re hearing that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IRS for people who have filed taxes before and people who have accounts and had direct deposits .
And so it ’ s going to be a very messy process and completely disheartening , because we know Americans need this relief today .
And so , any administrative delay is going to exasperate the kind of economic anxiety and pain many of our community members are feeling .
AMY GOODMAN : Tour fellow congressmember , Rashida Tlaib , has called for the government to give out debit cards that people can have access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OMAR : Right , because what you want is you want to make sure that you ’ re making it as accessible as possible and that you are not spending money on administrative costs .
And so , when we make this process means-tested , when we make it a process that goes through so many hoops , we know it ’ s not going to get into the hands of the people that need it the most when they need it the most .
And so , that ’ s the piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastating , because we know that the corporations that are getting the bailout are not going to have difficulties in extracting the money that they ’ re being promised , but the people will .
And that really is when you get to see how unjust our systems can be and how cruel it is to be poor and disconnected and resourceless in this country .
AMY GOODMAN : You and Congressmember Ayanna Pressley have introduced legislation to cancel student debt as part of the COVID-19 emergency stimulus package .
Was that included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ILHAN OMAR : So , what we were calling for was a $ 30,000 cancellation of student debt .
The bill currently does not have that .
It has about $ 10,000 .
Again , it is not as clean as it would have been with Ayanna and I ’ s bill , and it , again , will have a huge process .
The one thing that I am exceptionally excited about , it ’ s the fact that there is a deferment for student debt so that people can get relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
AMY GOODMAN : What about undocumented immigrants , the millions of millions and millions of people who are afraid to come forward , perhaps even to get tested , which is not only protection for them , but for the whole community ?
When President Trump was asked about this , whether they would be gone after if they went to a hospital or if they got a test , he said , “ No , they can certainly do that .
It ’ s important , ” he suggested , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another country.
” Your response ?
REP. ILHAN OMAR : So , we know that there are many people who are still being subjected to ICE raids , who are being put in ICE detention .
Just a few weeks ago , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York , one of my sisters in service , was at an airport due to a tip , where she stopped young children that were being trafficked by an ICE agent , transported from one state to another .
And it is really inhumane to see us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centers are overly crowded .
So we ’ ve called for a halt in deportation .
We ’ ve called for a halt in all immigration court proceedings , because we know that that could be a hot spot for the spread of the virus .
We ’ ve called for a stop in having ICE come into our communities and terrorize people .
We want people to feel comfortable enough to seek medical attention when they need it .
The reason sanctuary cities exist is because it allows those that are most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to access the services that they need .
When you have vulnerable communities hiding , not seeking the service that they need , you put all of us at risk .
And so we want people to lead with humanity .
We want for there to be a just society .
And so , when we ’ re asking for clemency for those that are ill , that are elderly in our jails and prisons , we ’ re asking for people to be saved who need to be saved .
And so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the “ party of life ” really devalues human life , regards to class or ethnicity or gender .
And that , I think , is the center of the conversation we ’ re having .
AMY GOODMAN : Congressmember Omar , we had on the former director of ICE , John Sandweg , who is calling for ICE , which has the ultimate authority in this particular case , to release thousands of detainees .
How is this being addressed right now ?
REP. ILHAN OMAR : It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter .
My office led a letter to the administration , to the Department of Homeland Security , asking them to do precisely what the former director is calling for .
We know that there are so many people who are caught up in this unjust immigration system .
Not everybody is the violent murderer that the Republicans talk about .
There are so many people who have a right to seek asylum , who have a right to come and look for opportunities to start anew .
And we need to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect their life at the moment .
And again , like I said , it ’ s really quite astonishing to see that the “ party of life ” does not advocate for all human life to be uplifted .
AMY GOODMAN : Congressmember Omar , you have been very critical of the $ 500 billion , what some people are calling a corporate slush fund , that it has very little oversight , though it was strengthened somewhat in this latest bill .
Others said , “ Why wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 trillion package ?
” That you have the president saying he ’ ll be the oversight on what corporations are bailed out .
How do you feel that there are some now protections and safeguards in this bill that you ’ re voting on today , about who gets this ?
REP. ILHAN OMAR : Well , first of all , nobody trusts Trump and his administration to have oversight over anything , let alone this kind of corporate welfare .
And we know , in previous bailouts , money has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to regulate it and make sure that it was going into the hands of the right people .
And so , there are some protections in place , and I look forward to what the follow-ups are going to be as we strengthen the kind of check and balances that we want to put in place .
This is when it ’ s going to be really important for Congress to exercise their oversight powers to make sure that this independent agency that we ’ re going to put in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be able to make sure that they are protecting American tax dollars .
AMY GOODMAN : Congressmember Omar , you are the first African refugee to be elected to Congress .
You are from Somalia .
Africa has been called a ticking time bomb in the coronavirus pandemic .
What needs to happen there ?
What are your deepest concerns there ?
REP. ILHAN OMAR : Yeah , I mean , it ’ s really a privilege when we talk about social distancing , right ?
I recently read an article that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s currently living in Africa .
And she said , you know , in Africa , social distancing is just not possible .
And so we know that they don ’ t have the privileges in many spots in Africa where they can go and get a week ’ s worth of groceries and have it be refrigerated .
Many of Africa doesn ’ t have the broadband capacity or internet capacity , electricity capacity , to be able to work from home for a mass population .
And so , my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being put in place by some of the leaders there really do work , the people try to take as many precautions as they can , and that we don ’ t stop thinking about those that are in countries that are not as fortunate as ours .
If we are struggling this much as one of the wealthiest countries in the world , in providing urgent and proper healthcare to people who need it , in providing financial relief to people who need it , in stabilizing our economy , in delivering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can you imagine what countries that are heavily populated but don ’ t have any of those resources may be dealing with ?
AMY GOODMAN : Congressmember , we have to go , but I wanted to ask your overall assessment of how President Trump has handled this , from the egregious lack of tests that are available in this country , that go to the core of public health strategies to find hot spots , to know how to deal with people , to the issue of protective gear being available to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors , the nurses , the people who are doing sanitation in hospitals , being protected .
Can you assess what President Trump has done ?
REP. ILHAN OMAR : Yeah .
In the experts we trust .
In Donald Trump we don ’ t .
It is really devastating to watch how much he is downplaying this crisis , how much he ’ s driven really by his poll numbers and what is going to happen in the upcoming election .
This is the time for bold leadership .
This is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protecting every single American .
When we think about war , one of the first things that happens is that you are told to leave no one behind .
And so we want this president , this administration , to stop fooling around , to stop downplaying this crisis , to really take this pandemic serious , to protect — AMY GOODMAN : And President Trump saying he ’ s going to try to open the country up by — REP. ILHAN OMAR : — the American people , to put in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump saying he ’ ll try to open the country up by Easter , when the doctors and the — REP. ILHAN OMAR : That is — that is extremely irresponsible and dangerous .
We want to make sure that people are being protected .
Lives are much more important than this economy , regardless of what the president or some of Republican talking heads might say .
It is really quite devastating to see people have a conversation about what it looks like to prioritize anything other than preserving the lives and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected to preserve .
And so , I ask vigorously of every single American to have a conversation about the lack of leadership that is being shown and the kind of danger that we are being put in by a president who certainly doesn ’ t know how to trust scientists , who some have even asked if he knows what a ventilator is , and someone who clearly doesn ’ t have a clue what it means to put country first .
AMY GOODMAN : Congressmember Ilhan Omar , I want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representing the 5th Congressional District in Minnesota , one of two Muslim women , now the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress and the first African refugee to serve there .
When we come back , we speak with author Matt Stoller , who says , “ The coronavirus relief bill could turn into a corporate coup if we aren ’ t careful.
” Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We’re broadcasting from the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. We’re broadcasting from New York City. The United States is now number one in the world for coronavirus infections, overtaking China and Italy. The number of cases in the U.S. has surged to 85,000 people. The number is far higher because of the lack of testing. As President Trump continues to defy his scientific advisers and downplay the threat of the highly contagious disease, at least 1,300 people have died across the U.S., and the global death toll is more than 24,000. As much of the United States and the world is under lockdown, the House of Representatives is voting today on a $2 trillion emergency relief package to address the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. The bill will generate payments to most Americans and includes protections for workers, but it’s also a massive bailout for a number of corporations and industries. The vote comes as a record-shattering nearly 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week amidst the coronavirus crisis. This is optician Ali Nelson, who was laid off amidst the pandemic.
ALI NELSON: We stayed open as long as we could, until it just got to be too much, and our boss just pretty much said, you know, “We’re going to have to shut down until further notice.” And so that’s kind of where we’re at right now. So, not fortunately, it’s a small company, so we’re not getting paid. And I’m the primary wage earner in my home. And so, you know, I went ahead and filed for unemployment.
AMY GOODMAN: For more, we go to Washington, D.C., where we’re joined by Congressmember Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. She’s the first Somali American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, one of the first Muslim women in Congress along with Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and she’s the only refugee, a refugee from Africa.
Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Congressmember Omar. Can you talk today about what you are voting on? Can you talk about this massive, the largest bill, relief bill, in the history of United States? What concerns you most? Why are you supporting it?
REP. ILHAN OMAR: Thank you, Amy, for having me. I was just listening to you go through the story, and being the epicenter of this pandemic truly is the wrong kind of American exceptionalism. We would like to be on top of every list. This is the one list we should never really aspire to be on. And I think this crisis and this pandemic really lays bare the kind of inequalities that have existed for far too long in our country. And the conversations we’re having right now as we put forth our third relief package shows us that there is often a prioritization of corporate interests and often not a prioritization of the interests of the people.
So, today I plan on voting for this bill, not because it’s perfect or it’s sufficient, but because I think, in a time where we are facing one of the largest crises we’ve faced in our country, it’s going to be really important for us to do everything that we can to protect the lives and the livelihoods of the people of this country. My home state, just in 10 days, there has been 165,000 people who filed for unemployment insurance. And nationwide, as you said, it’s 3.3 million. And so we have to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to deliver relief.
So, a few of the things that are in this package really align with the progressive vision that we’ve had and some of the bills that I’ve introduced as we’ve gone through this crisis. One is that it will offer cash relief. It’s not the kind of universal or monthly cash relief that I had championed, but it will be helpful to a lot of people. We are also seeing exceptional expansion of unemployment insurance. As you know, that’s thanks to Senator Bernie Sanders, who made sure that we had that in there. For the first time, we saw Republicans get bent out of shape because Americans who are poor might be able to get a few extra dollars, even though they are going to be the most in need during this crisis. We’re also seeing an expansion of the unemployment insurance, where it will cover people who are new — who have had a new entrance into the job market, people who are self-employed, people who are self-isolating or are forced to isolate. And so, it is going to be a helpful package in that regard.
We’re going to see real relief for small businesses. In my district, in the Minnesota 5th, we’re seeing a real squeeze and pain being felt by small businesses. And so I introduced the ABLE Act, and I believe this package currently allows for the vision that I had to be actualized.
We also heard so much from our local municipalities, big cities, small cities. I represent Minneapolis and 15 suburban cities, and so we know that many of them need the relief that comes — that’s coming in this package toward states and local municipalities. There are many governors and mayors around the country, like our governor, Walz, who are showing exceptional leadership, who are not downplaying this pandemic, who are doing everything that they can to protect the public, provide relief. Minnesota is one of the few states that has put a moratorium on eviction. They’re working really hard to try to make sure that there is support for people. We also have a sort of a lockdown in place that helps curb the spread of this virus — visions that we have for the country that are being carried out by the leadership in Minnesota.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Congressmember Omar, let me ask you. The bill includes a $1,200 one-time payment to most Americans, with $500 in addition for kids. You have called for getting cash in people’s hands; it should be universal and monthly. How are people going to get this money, even those that get this one-shot deal, people in the gig economy? How is it delivered to them?
REP. ILHAN OMAR: Yeah, that really is the one piece that this bill is very divergent from the vision that I had and many others had. We expected that it would go through the IRS and Social Security to make sure everyone would be able to get the money that they need. And now we’re hearing that this process is going to go through the IRS for people who have filed taxes before and people who have accounts and had direct deposits. And so it’s going to be a very messy process and completely disheartening, because we know Americans need this relief today. And so, any administrative delay is going to exasperate the kind of economic anxiety and pain many of our community members are feeling.
AMY GOODMAN: Tour fellow congressmember, Rashida Tlaib, has called for the government to give out debit cards that people can have access to money right away.
REP. ILHAN OMAR: Right, because what you want is you want to make sure that you’re making it as accessible as possible and that you are not spending money on administrative costs. And so, when we make this process means-tested, when we make it a process that goes through so many hoops, we know it’s not going to get into the hands of the people that need it the most when they need it the most. And so, that’s the piece in this legislation that’s really devastating, because we know that the corporations that are getting the bailout are not going to have difficulties in extracting the money that they’re being promised, but the people will. And that really is when you get to see how unjust our systems can be and how cruel it is to be poor and disconnected and resourceless in this country.
AMY GOODMAN: You and Congressmember Ayanna Pressley have introduced legislation to cancel student debt as part of the COVID-19 emergency stimulus package. Was that included in the bill? Explain.
REP. ILHAN OMAR: So, what we were calling for was a $30,000 cancellation of student debt. The bill currently does not have that. It has about $10,000. Again, it is not as clean as it would have been with Ayanna and I’s bill, and it, again, will have a huge process. The one thing that I am exceptionally excited about, it’s the fact that there is a deferment for student debt so that people can get relief for a few months in regards to that.
AMY GOODMAN: What about undocumented immigrants, the millions of millions and millions of people who are afraid to come forward, perhaps even to get tested, which is not only protection for them, but for the whole community? When President Trump was asked about this, whether they would be gone after if they went to a hospital or if they got a test, he said, “No, they can certainly do that. It’s important,” he suggested, “before they’re deported to another country.” Your response?
REP. ILHAN OMAR: So, we know that there are many people who are still being subjected to ICE raids, who are being put in ICE detention. Just a few weeks ago, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, one of my sisters in service, was at an airport due to a tip, where she stopped young children that were being trafficked by an ICE agent, transported from one state to another. And it is really inhumane to see us continue in this process. ICE detention centers are overly crowded. So we’ve called for a halt in deportation. We’ve called for a halt in all immigration court proceedings, because we know that that could be a hot spot for the spread of the virus. We’ve called for a stop in having ICE come into our communities and terrorize people.
We want people to feel comfortable enough to seek medical attention when they need it. The reason sanctuary cities exist is because it allows those that are most vulnerable in our communities to be able to access the services that they need. When you have vulnerable communities hiding, not seeking the service that they need, you put all of us at risk. And so we want people to lead with humanity. We want for there to be a just society. And so, when we’re asking for clemency for those that are ill, that are elderly in our jails and prisons, we’re asking for people to be saved who need to be saved. And so, it is really devastating to know that the “party of life” really devalues human life, regards to class or ethnicity or gender. And that, I think, is the center of the conversation we’re having.
AMY GOODMAN: Congressmember Omar, we had on the former director of ICE, John Sandweg, who is calling for ICE, which has the ultimate authority in this particular case, to release thousands of detainees. How is this being addressed right now?
REP. ILHAN OMAR: It’s not. We’ve put out a letter. My office led a letter to the administration, to the Department of Homeland Security, asking them to do precisely what the former director is calling for. We know that there are so many people who are caught up in this unjust immigration system. Not everybody is the violent murderer that the Republicans talk about. There are so many people who have a right to seek asylum, who have a right to come and look for opportunities to start anew. And we need to give them that opportunity, and we need to protect their life at the moment. And again, like I said, it’s really quite astonishing to see that the “party of life” does not advocate for all human life to be uplifted.
AMY GOODMAN: Congressmember Omar, you have been very critical of the $500 billion, what some people are calling a corporate slush fund, that it has very little oversight, though it was strengthened somewhat in this latest bill. Others said, “Why wasn’t it just sliced out of the $2 trillion package?” That you have the president saying he’ll be the oversight on what corporations are bailed out. How do you feel that there are some now protections and safeguards in this bill that you’re voting on today, about who gets this?
REP. ILHAN OMAR: Well, first of all, nobody trusts Trump and his administration to have oversight over anything, let alone this kind of corporate welfare. And we know, in previous bailouts, money has been misused, and it took years to be able to regulate it and make sure that it was going into the hands of the right people. And so, there are some protections in place, and I look forward to what the follow-ups are going to be as we strengthen the kind of check and balances that we want to put in place. This is when it’s going to be really important for Congress to exercise their oversight powers to make sure that this independent agency that we’re going to put in place has the right people at the table to be able to make sure that they are protecting American tax dollars.
AMY GOODMAN: Congressmember Omar, you are the first African refugee to be elected to Congress. You are from Somalia. Africa has been called a ticking time bomb in the coronavirus pandemic. What needs to happen there? What are your deepest concerns there?
REP. ILHAN OMAR: Yeah, I mean, it’s really a privilege when we talk about social distancing, right? I recently read an article that was shared by my sister, who’s currently living in Africa. And she said, you know, in Africa, social distancing is just not possible. And so we know that they don’t have the privileges in many spots in Africa where they can go and get a week’s worth of groceries and have it be refrigerated. Many of Africa doesn’t have the broadband capacity or internet capacity, electricity capacity, to be able to work from home for a mass population. And so, my hope is that the efforts that are being put in place by some of the leaders there really do work, the people try to take as many precautions as they can, and that we don’t stop thinking about those that are in countries that are not as fortunate as ours. If we are struggling this much as one of the wealthiest countries in the world, in providing urgent and proper healthcare to people who need it, in providing financial relief to people who need it, in stabilizing our economy, in delivering much-needed services to our most vulnerable, can you imagine what countries that are heavily populated but don’t have any of those resources may be dealing with?
AMY GOODMAN: Congressmember, we have to go, but I wanted to ask your overall assessment of how President Trump has handled this, from the egregious lack of tests that are available in this country, that go to the core of public health strategies to find hot spots, to know how to deal with people, to the issue of protective gear being available to the bravest in this country, the doctors, the nurses, the people who are doing sanitation in hospitals, being protected. Can you assess what President Trump has done?
REP. ILHAN OMAR: Yeah. In the experts we trust. In Donald Trump we don’t. It is really devastating to watch how much he is downplaying this crisis, how much he’s driven really by his poll numbers and what is going to happen in the upcoming election. This is the time for bold leadership. This is the time to make sure that you are protecting every single American. When we think about war, one of the first things that happens is that you are told to leave no one behind. And so we want this president, this administration, to stop fooling around, to stop downplaying this crisis, to really take this pandemic serious, to protect —
AMY GOODMAN: And President Trump saying he’s going to try to open the country up by —
REP. ILHAN OMAR: — the American people, to put in place proper policies.
AMY GOODMAN: President Trump saying he’ll try to open the country up by Easter, when the doctors and the —
REP. ILHAN OMAR: That is — that is extremely irresponsible and dangerous. We want to make sure that people are being protected. Lives are much more important than this economy, regardless of what the president or some of Republican talking heads might say. It is really quite devastating to see people have a conversation about what it looks like to prioritize anything other than preserving the lives and the livelihoods of the people we were elected to preserve. And so, I ask vigorously of every single American to have a conversation about the lack of leadership that is being shown and the kind of danger that we are being put in by a president who certainly doesn’t know how to trust scientists, who some have even asked if he knows what a ventilator is, and someone who clearly doesn’t have a clue what it means to put country first.
AMY GOODMAN: Congressmember Ilhan Omar, I want to thank you for being with us, representing the 5th Congressional District in Minnesota, one of two Muslim women, now the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress and the first African refugee to serve there.
When we come back, we speak with author Matt Stoller, who says, “The coronavirus relief bill could turn into a corporate coup if we aren’t careful.” Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-03-27--Headlines for March 27, 2020

Headlines for March 27, 2020

With intensive care beds and life-saving ventilators increasingly in short supply , Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded for federal authorities to ship an additional 15,000 of the life-saving devices — half of the 30,000 he says are needed to keep critically ill patients breathing .
Mayor Bill de Blasio : “ If you have a ventilator , you can save a life ; you can keep someone going , get them through this crisis so they can recover .
If you don ’ t have a ventilator , people die who didn ’ t need to die .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City hospitals have begun splitting ventilators to allow two patients to use a single device , as nurses fear a looming shortage will soon force them to decide who lives and who dies .
New York officials are pleading with the White House to use the Defense Production Act to order companies to manufacture ventilators and other critically needed medical equipment , but President Trump has refused , saying business leaders have promised to meet the challenge without government intervention .
The New York Times reports the White House canceled an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Systems to produce up to 80,000 desperately needed ventilators , over concerns about the project ’ s $ 1 billion price tag — or about 0.05 % of the cost of the coronavirus relief bill .
On Thursday , President Trump said he doubted New York ’ s urgent request for 30,000 ventilators was merited .
Trump was speaking on Fox News .
President Donald Trump : “ I don ’ t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators .
You know , you go into major hospitals , sometimes they ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of a sudden , they ’ re saying , 'Can we order 30,000 ventilators ? '
”

With intensive care beds and life-saving ventilators increasingly in short supply, Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded for federal authorities to ship an additional 15,000 of the life-saving devices — half of the 30,000 he says are needed to keep critically ill patients breathing.
Mayor Bill de Blasio: “If you have a ventilator, you can save a life; you can keep someone going, get them through this crisis so they can recover. If you don’t have a ventilator, people die who didn’t need to die. It’s as simple as that.”
Some New York City hospitals have begun splitting ventilators to allow two patients to use a single device, as nurses fear a looming shortage will soon force them to decide who lives and who dies.
New York officials are pleading with the White House to use the Defense Production Act to order companies to manufacture ventilators and other critically needed medical equipment, but President Trump has refused, saying business leaders have promised to meet the challenge without government intervention.
The New York Times reports the White House canceled an agreement with General Motors and Ventec Life Systems to produce up to 80,000 desperately needed ventilators, over concerns about the project’s $1 billion price tag — or about 0.05% of the cost of the coronavirus relief bill.
On Thursday, President Trump said he doubted New York’s urgent request for 30,000 ventilators was merited. Trump was speaking on Fox News.


democracynow--2020-03-26--"Chaotic Situation": India Begins Lockdown of 1.3 Billion Residents as Coronavirus Pandemic Spreads

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org .
I ’ m Amy Goodman in the studio , with Nermeen Shaikh in self-isolation in New York City .
We ’ re turning to India now , where Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the largest lockdown in human history starting Wednesday , telling the country ’ s 1.3 billion people to shelter in place .
With 693 confirmed coronavirus cases and 13 dead , India ’ s three-week lockdown is an attempt to stave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health systems already seen in China , Italy , Spain and now the United States .
But as the country ’ s economy and daily life comes to an abrupt halt , hundreds of millions of Indians who live hand to mouth have been left without the means to support their families .
More than 80 % of India ’ s workforce is informal , with most living off daily wages often less than $ 2 or $ 3 a day , wages they can not earn under the present curfew .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have announced economic relief packages for workers and the poor , and Modi ’ s government is expected to do the same in the coming days .
But critics say Modi ’ s response to the coronavirus crisis has left India ’ s poor to fend for themselves , with migrant workers left stranded at now-closed train and bus stations with no way to get home , and millions wondering how they ’ ll survive weeks and potentially months without work .
Meanwhile , India ’ s testing lags far behind other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of COVID-19 infections is far , far higher than reported .
As of Tuesday , India had conducted only 15,000 tests — 15,000 in a nation of 1.3 billion .
Well , for more , we ’ re joined by the award-winning Indian writer Amitav Ghosh , joining us from his home in Brooklyn , New York , where he is sheltering in place .
His books include Gun Island and The Great Derangement : Climate Change and the Unthinkable .
Thanks so much for being with us .
Let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India .
Let ’ s talk about this largest lockdown in human history .
What do you understand is going on , Amitav ?
AMITAV GHOSH : Well , it seems to be a very chaotic situation .
You know , let me say , first of all , that one of the terrible things about this lockdown is that it should have happened a lot earlier .
I mean , I ’ ve been self-isolating here in Brooklyn for almost three weeks now .
And I talk to my friends and my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And really , for three weeks , they were just not taking this seriously at all .
And those signals have to come from the government .
For example , Floyd Cardoz , I ’ m told — you know , he was a friend of mine .
I ’ m really devastated to hear about his passing .
But I ’ m told he had a huge party in Bombay earlier this month .
And , you know , if they had shut down these sort of big gatherings and so on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have served an enormous purpose , but they didn ’ t .
And so , this lockdown has come as a huge surprise .
My family back in Calcutta , they ’ re completely panicked because they didn ’ t have time to go out and buy food or anything .
And , you know , I ’ m just talking about my family .
As for the 80 % of India ’ s employment is in the informal sector , and those people are just completely devastated .
You saw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
A lot of informal workers are now out on the streets .
They lived on the streets anyway .
They have no way to get back to their homes , which are maybe hundreds of miles away .
They ’ re just stuck on the street .
Yesterday I saw a horrifying video of a young boy being beaten by the police .
And he was just out on the street because there was nowhere — he had nowhere to go .
You see these pictures of workers carrying their children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back hundreds of miles to their families .
It ’ s just a shocking situation .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : And , Amitav Ghosh , what do you expect will happen now ?
What are you learning from your family ?
Because at the moment , this lockdown is supposed to last for three weeks .
What are you hearing , though , about how long it ’ s likely to continue beyond that ?
And also , what provisions the Modi government has put in place , if any , for people under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goods — food , drinking water , etc.
?
AMITAV GHOSH : Well , the government has announced some sorts of relief measures , and it varies from state to state in India .
So , Kerala has actually been very proactive , and they ’ ve acted very early amongst Indian states .
How effective these measures will be , I just don ’ t know .
You know , even delivery workers are being beaten by the police .
It just makes absolutely no sense .
Journalists trying to get to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Healthcare workers are being beaten .
So , you know , as far as I can see , it ’ s kind of this strange situation of chaos and panic building upon each other .
So , you know , middle-class families like mine are able to stockpile a certain amount of food at home .
But you think of the people who are stuck in tiny shanties , who have really not the ability to even stockpile any food .
And the weather is turning hotter and hotter .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just going to be appalling for them .
And let me say straightaway that the reported numbers , we just can not trust at all .
We know now that really the numbers reported are a function of the testing .
And as Amy said earlier , very few Indians have been tested .
What ?
It ’ s like 15,000 in a huge country ?
So , I mean , again , another statistic that is not at all trustworthy is the number of people who are dying , because a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not actually reported , or they ’ re not certified by doctors .
So we really have no idea at all of what ’ s going on on the ground .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : And , Amitav , could you elaborate a little bit more ?
You ’ ve suggested here the extraordinary inequality in the effects and spread of this virus — of course , here in the United States , but perhaps with different orders of magnitude in countries like India with such a large population that is poor — who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most , and the relationship between these decades of — which you ’ ve pointed out — decades of neoliberalism and the populations that are going to be the most affected by this , in India as well as here .
AMITAV GHOSH : Well , you know , the sort of neoliberal sorts of policies that we ’ ve seen around the world have had the effect of greatly increasing inequality , you know ?
So , you see this terrible sort of cycle .
I mean , a lot of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from areas that have been very badly hit by climate change .
In 2016 , for example , there was a terrible drought in central India .
Hundreds of thousands of people were leaving their villages every single day and flocking into cities like Delhi , where they lived under flyovers .
So , what are those people going to do in this circumstance ?
How can they even return ?
Again , you know , obviously , I mean , people live in very close contact in slums , in shantytowns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , very fast over there .
Those people are not going to be able to get themselves tested .
They ’ re not going to be able to go to hospitals .
In any case , at this point in time , I suspect hospitals are going to be the prime center for the transmission of this disease .
You know , we are seeing that around the world .
There ’ s no reason to believe that that won ’ t be the case in India .
So , yes , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I mean , during this last week , as the panic was beginning to spread in India , migrant workers started piling into trains in thousands .
You can imagine in a small train compartment how quickly this will spread .
AMY GOODMAN : If you could comment , Amitav Ghosh , on President Trump going to India right at the time that people were saying he had to be speaking about coronavirus , not only there , but dealing with what ’ s happening in the United States , as well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stadium being celebrated , not saying any word , when it could have made such an enormous difference ?
And also talk more about — I mean , your book is titled The Great Derangement : Climate Change and the Unthinkable , very appropriate for what ’ s happening right now .
But if you could talk more deeply about the connection between climate change and the growth of these viruses , the spread of these viruses , and what we haven ’ t taken seriously until this point ?
AMITAV GHOSH : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right .
I mean , just a few weeks ago , President Trump was in India with the prime minister , Narendra Modi .
They were in a huge stadium with tens of thousands of people .
I think it was hundreds of thousands , actually .
And , you know , you can just sense that this is a huge incubator of the disease .
You know , even a couple weeks ago , there were massive cricket matches going on across India .
It was just a spectacle of derangement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Great Derangement , and every single day I see more and more signs of this kind of derangement .
So , you know , the relationship with climate change , well , as far as I can tell , obviously , one direct relationship is rising temperatures will create — will make the transmission of certain kinds of diseases easier in certain places .
But I think we can ’ t think of it only in terms of a causal relationship .
I think these things — this pandemic , the global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — are actually all effects of this great acceleration that we ’ ve been seeing for the last 30 years , starting in about 1990 , since we ’ ve had this sort of neoliberal regime , economic regime , put in place across the world .
Half of all of the greenhouse gas emissions that are in the skies right now come since 1990 .
So , it ’ s exactly in this period that we ’ ve witnessed this incredible acceleration in travel , in mobility , all the things that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this to instantly , as it were , spread itself around the world .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : And , Amitav , can you speak specifically , on the question of this great acceleration , to the Modi government ’ s policies specifically ?
I mean , a lot of people have criticized the Modi government for the way in which it imposed this curfew , and compared it to his decision to demonetize the currency a couple of years ago .
So , could you talk about the impact of the Modi government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of inequality and the impact on the climate crisis of some of the policies that the Modi government has pursued ?
AMITAV GHOSH : See , the lockdown announcement was made at 8 p.m. at night , and the demonetization announcement was also made in a similar way .
And the demonetization announcement created absolute panic that lasted for a long time , disrupted lives and really rendered the informal sector very , very vulnerable .
They still have not recovered from that .
So , when this — when it was announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make another sort of major announcement , already that created a kind of incredible panic .
And apart from that , you know , the last few months in India have been incredibly difficult .
I mean , the government also announced a set of changes in citizenship laws , which has completely divided the country and created upheavals across the country .
This couldn ’ t in fact have happened at a worse moment .
So , you know , it ’ s going to create a lot of uncertainty , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think anyone can really foresee what lies ahead in the next few weeks , because I feel absolutely sure that three weeks is not enough .
It ’ s going to be much more than that .
You know , we are just seeing the beginnings of this pandemic in India .
So , the Modi government ’ s policies from the start have been very anti-environmental .
They ’ ve diluted the Forest Rights Act , which protected the rights of many forest-dwelling indigenous peoples .
They ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in India , we had strict regulations about building close to the sea , to the coast .
You know , there were strict regulations about leaving a certain amount of land that you couldn ’ t build on .
So , obviously , hotels , resorts , all those sorts of lobbies , they wanted that changed , and they were able to push through a change .
You just think about this moment in time with sea level rise , and you ’ re suddenly allowed to build closer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a kind of madness .
And , you know , especially the devastation that is happening in India ’ s forests , forests being opened up to mining interests across India , all of this is going to create absolute disaster , because we can see that it ’ s that kind of ecological destruction , it ’ s deforestation , that creates the conditions for these animal-to-human transmissions of viruses .
AMY GOODMAN : Amitav Ghosh , we ’ re going to have to leave it there .
I want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India writer based in Brooklyn , where he ’ s self-isolating , author of The Great Derangement : Climate Change and the Unthinkable .
And that does it for the show .
We can not end this broadcast without a moment of joy .
And that joy is that it ’ s Nermeen Shaikh ’ s birthday .
AMY GOODMAN : Nermeen , a very , very Happy Birthday !
I wish you were right here at my side so you could blow out this candle with me .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Oh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But you are so important in this broadcast and represent such an important ray of hope , as do all our colleagues here at Democracy Now !
, both at the studio and self-isolating but working so hard at home .
Happy Birthday , Nermeen !
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Thank you , Amy .
Thank you .
AMY GOODMAN : Happy , Happy Birthday , dear Nermeen !
Democracy Now !
is brought to you by a remarkably dedicated group of passionate producers , videographers .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman in the studio, with Nermeen Shaikh in self-isolation in New York City. We’re turning to India now, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the largest lockdown in human history starting Wednesday, telling the country’s 1.3 billion people to shelter in place. With 693 confirmed coronavirus cases and 13 dead, India’s three-week lockdown is an attempt to stave off the skyrocketing death tolls and overwhelmed health systems already seen in China, Italy, Spain and now the United States.
But as the country’s economy and daily life comes to an abrupt halt, hundreds of millions of Indians who live hand to mouth have been left without the means to support their families. More than 80% of India’s workforce is informal, with most living off daily wages often less than $2 or $3 a day, wages they cannot earn under the present curfew. Some states, including Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, have announced economic relief packages for workers and the poor, and Modi’s government is expected to do the same in the coming days. But critics say Modi’s response to the coronavirus crisis has left India’s poor to fend for themselves, with migrant workers left stranded at now-closed train and bus stations with no way to get home, and millions wondering how they’ll survive weeks and potentially months without work.
Meanwhile, India’s testing lags far behind other nations, leading to fears the actual number of COVID-19 infections is far, far higher than reported. As of Tuesday, India had conducted only 15,000 tests — 15,000 in a nation of 1.3 billion.
Well, for more, we’re joined by the award-winning Indian writer Amitav Ghosh, joining us from his home in Brooklyn, New York, where he is sheltering in place. His books include Gun Island and The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable.
Thanks so much for being with us. Let’s start with what’s happening in India. Let’s talk about this largest lockdown in human history. What do you understand is going on, Amitav?
AMITAV GHOSH: Well, it seems to be a very chaotic situation. You know, let me say, first of all, that one of the terrible things about this lockdown is that it should have happened a lot earlier. I mean, I’ve been self-isolating here in Brooklyn for almost three weeks now. And I talk to my friends and my family every day back in India. And really, for three weeks, they were just not taking this seriously at all. And those signals have to come from the government. For example, Floyd Cardoz, I’m told — you know, he was a friend of mine. I’m really devastated to hear about his passing. But I’m told he had a huge party in Bombay earlier this month. And, you know, if they had shut down these sort of big gatherings and so on two to three weeks ago, it would have served an enormous purpose, but they didn’t.
And so, this lockdown has come as a huge surprise. My family back in Calcutta, they’re completely panicked because they didn’t have time to go out and buy food or anything. And, you know, I’m just talking about my family. As for the 80% of India’s employment is in the informal sector, and those people are just completely devastated. You saw the picture of people being beaten by the police. A lot of informal workers are now out on the streets. They lived on the streets anyway. They have no way to get back to their homes, which are maybe hundreds of miles away. They’re just stuck on the street. Yesterday I saw a horrifying video of a young boy being beaten by the police. And he was just out on the street because there was nowhere — he had nowhere to go. You see these pictures of workers carrying their children on their heads, trying to walk back hundreds of miles to their families. It’s just a shocking situation.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Amitav Ghosh, what do you expect will happen now? What are you learning from your family? Because at the moment, this lockdown is supposed to last for three weeks. What are you hearing, though, about how long it’s likely to continue beyond that? And also, what provisions the Modi government has put in place, if any, for people under curfew to get access to even basic goods — food, drinking water, etc.?
AMITAV GHOSH: Well, the government has announced some sorts of relief measures, and it varies from state to state in India. So, Kerala has actually been very proactive, and they’ve acted very early amongst Indian states. How effective these measures will be, I just don’t know. You know, even delivery workers are being beaten by the police. It just makes absolutely no sense. Journalists trying to get to work are being beaten by the police. Healthcare workers are being beaten. So, you know, as far as I can see, it’s kind of this strange situation of chaos and panic building upon each other.
So, you know, middle-class families like mine are able to stockpile a certain amount of food at home. But you think of the people who are stuck in tiny shanties, who have really not the ability to even stockpile any food. And the weather is turning hotter and hotter. They’re stuck inside. It’s just going to be appalling for them.
And let me say straightaway that the reported numbers, we just cannot trust at all. We know now that really the numbers reported are a function of the testing. And as Amy said earlier, very few Indians have been tested. What? It’s like 15,000 in a huge country? So, I mean, again, another statistic that is not at all trustworthy is the number of people who are dying, because a very large number of deaths in India are not actually reported, or they’re not certified by doctors. So we really have no idea at all of what’s going on on the ground.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Amitav, could you elaborate a little bit more? You’ve suggested here the extraordinary inequality in the effects and spread of this virus — of course, here in the United States, but perhaps with different orders of magnitude in countries like India with such a large population that is poor — who this virus is likely to impact the most, and the relationship between these decades of — which you’ve pointed out — decades of neoliberalism and the populations that are going to be the most affected by this, in India as well as here.
AMITAV GHOSH: Well, you know, the sort of neoliberal sorts of policies that we’ve seen around the world have had the effect of greatly increasing inequality, you know? So, you see this terrible sort of cycle. I mean, a lot of the informal workers in Delhi are actually farmers from areas that have been very badly hit by climate change. In 2016, for example, there was a terrible drought in central India. Hundreds of thousands of people were leaving their villages every single day and flocking into cities like Delhi, where they lived under flyovers. So, what are those people going to do in this circumstance? How can they even return?
Again, you know, obviously, I mean, people live in very close contact in slums, in shantytowns. It’s going to spread very, very fast over there. Those people are not going to be able to get themselves tested. They’re not going to be able to go to hospitals. In any case, at this point in time, I suspect hospitals are going to be the prime center for the transmission of this disease. You know, we are seeing that around the world. There’s no reason to believe that that won’t be the case in India. So, yes, you know, just take one example. I mean, during this last week, as the panic was beginning to spread in India, migrant workers started piling into trains in thousands. You can imagine in a small train compartment how quickly this will spread.
AMY GOODMAN: If you could comment, Amitav Ghosh, on President Trump going to India right at the time that people were saying he had to be speaking about coronavirus, not only there, but dealing with what’s happening in the United States, as well, but instead he was there at a stadium being celebrated, not saying any word, when it could have made such an enormous difference? And also talk more about — I mean, your book is titled The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, very appropriate for what’s happening right now. But if you could talk more deeply about the connection between climate change and the growth of these viruses, the spread of these viruses, and what we haven’t taken seriously until this point?
AMITAV GHOSH: Well, yes, you’re right. I mean, just a few weeks ago, President Trump was in India with the prime minister, Narendra Modi. They were in a huge stadium with tens of thousands of people. I think it was hundreds of thousands, actually. And, you know, you can just sense that this is a huge incubator of the disease. You know, even a couple weeks ago, there were massive cricket matches going on across India. It was just a spectacle of derangement. You know, my book is called The Great Derangement, and every single day I see more and more signs of this kind of derangement.
So, you know, the relationship with climate change, well, as far as I can tell, obviously, one direct relationship is rising temperatures will create — will make the transmission of certain kinds of diseases easier in certain places. But I think we can’t think of it only in terms of a causal relationship. I think these things — this pandemic, the global migration crisis, so many other things — are actually all effects of this great acceleration that we’ve been seeing for the last 30 years, starting in about 1990, since we’ve had this sort of neoliberal regime, economic regime, put in place across the world. Half of all of the greenhouse gas emissions that are in the skies right now come since 1990. So, it’s exactly in this period that we’ve witnessed this incredible acceleration in travel, in mobility, all the things that make it possible for a pandemic like this to instantly, as it were, spread itself around the world.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Amitav, can you speak specifically, on the question of this great acceleration, to the Modi government’s policies specifically? I mean, a lot of people have criticized the Modi government for the way in which it imposed this curfew, and compared it to his decision to demonetize the currency a couple of years ago. So, could you talk about the impact of the Modi government’s policies both on the question of inequality and the impact on the climate crisis of some of the policies that the Modi government has pursued?
AMITAV GHOSH: See, the lockdown announcement was made at 8 p.m. at night, and the demonetization announcement was also made in a similar way. And the demonetization announcement created absolute panic that lasted for a long time, disrupted lives and really rendered the informal sector very, very vulnerable. They still have not recovered from that. So, when this — when it was announced that the prime minister is going to make another sort of major announcement, already that created a kind of incredible panic. And apart from that, you know, the last few months in India have been incredibly difficult. I mean, the government also announced a set of changes in citizenship laws, which has completely divided the country and created upheavals across the country. This couldn’t in fact have happened at a worse moment. So, you know, it’s going to create a lot of uncertainty, a lot of panic going ahead. I don’t think anyone can really foresee what lies ahead in the next few weeks, because I feel absolutely sure that three weeks is not enough. It’s going to be much more than that. You know, we are just seeing the beginnings of this pandemic in India.
So, the Modi government’s policies from the start have been very anti-environmental. They’ve diluted the Forest Rights Act, which protected the rights of many forest-dwelling indigenous peoples. They’ve even diluted things like — you know, in India, we had strict regulations about building close to the sea, to the coast. You know, there were strict regulations about leaving a certain amount of land that you couldn’t build on. So, obviously, hotels, resorts, all those sorts of lobbies, they wanted that changed, and they were able to push through a change. You just think about this moment in time with sea level rise, and you’re suddenly allowed to build closer and closer to the sea. It’s a kind of madness. And, you know, especially the devastation that is happening in India’s forests, forests being opened up to mining interests across India, all of this is going to create absolute disaster, because we can see that it’s that kind of ecological destruction, it’s deforestation, that creates the conditions for these animal-to-human transmissions of viruses.
AMY GOODMAN: Amitav Ghosh, we’re going to have to leave it there. I want to thank you for being with us, India writer based in Brooklyn, where he’s self-isolating, author of The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable.
And that does it for the show. We cannot end this broadcast without a moment of joy. And that joy is that it’s Nermeen Shaikh’s birthday.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Oh gosh.
AMY GOODMAN: Nermeen, a very, very Happy Birthday! I wish you were right here at my side so you could blow out this candle with me.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Oh, thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: But you are so important in this broadcast and represent such an important ray of hope, as do all our colleagues here at Democracy Now!, both at the studio and self-isolating but working so hard at home. Happy Birthday, Nermeen!
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Thank you, Amy. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: Happy, Happy Birthday, dear Nermeen! Democracy Now! is brought to you by a remarkably dedicated group of passionate producers, videographers. I’m Amy Goodman, from New York City. Thanks so much.


democracynow--2020-03-26--Bernie Sanders Fights for Laid-off Worker Protections in $2 Trillion Stimulus with Corporate Bailout

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The War and Peace Report .
In a historic vote just before midnight , the Senate unanimously approved a record-shattering $ 2.2 trillion emergency relief bill to battle the unprecedented economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic .
The House is set to vote on the bill on Friday .
President Trump promises to sign it immediately .
In a live-streamed legislative update Wednesday night , Vermont senator , presidential candidate Bernie Sanders spoke about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BERNIE SANDERS : This package provides the largest expansion of unemployment benefits in American history , an increase of over $ 250 billion .
Under this bill , average Americans who have been furloughed will be able to receive up to 100 % of their salary and their health insurance for four months , for four months .
Weekly unemployment benefits will increase by $ 600 .
So , if you were laid off , your unemployment benefit will increase by $ 600 above what it otherwise would have been .
And right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 364 for workers .
Now , also , very importantly , this expansion of unemployment will include part-time workers .
It will include gig workers , like those who drive Uber cars .
It will include tip workers and the self-employed , who would otherwise not be covered by unemployment insurance .
So , in other words , what we ’ re doing now is , at a time when fewer than half of the American people would normally be covered by unemployment , what this legislation does is it expands it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that , for many workers , would provide $ 600 a week more than they otherwise would have gotten .
And that is one of the more important provisions in the bill .
In addition , this bill provides $ 250 billion to go out in one-time checks of $ 1,200 for adults and $ 500 for kids .
Now , let me be very honest .
As some of you may know , I wanted much more .
I wanted every American family to be able to receive $ 2,000 every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the crisis .
So this does not do that .
And this is clearly not enough to me , but that is what it is .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders speaking Wednesday night about the unprecedented $ 2.2 trillion emergency relief bill .
The legislation would also provide $ 150 billion in direct aid to states and municipalities , more than $ 220 billion in tax benefits to companies , almost $ 120 billion in aid to hospitals and for veterans ’ healthcare , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guarantees for corporations .
Senator Sanders and other progressive critics are sounding the alarm over the corporate bailout portion of the bill and its limited oversight measures .
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS : I am very , very , very concerned about a $ 500 billion that will go out to the corporate world without — let me underline , without — the accountability and transparency that is needed .
We do not need , at this moment in history , to provide a massive amount of corporate welfare to large profitable corporations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware , you have industry like the — industries like the airlines industry , among others , that have provided for stock buybacks , billions and billions of dollars for stock buybacks .
They spent all their cash rewarding themselves and their stockholders .
And lo and behold , today they need a major bailout .
So , the concern here is : A , do we trust the Trump administration to effectively decide which company will get the loans or the grants ?
The answer is , no , I do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and grants during a political season will be used to benefit the president ’ s election prospects ?
Absolutely , I do .
And this breaking news : U.S. unemployment claims have soared to 3.3 million claims last week , quadrupling the record from 1982 .
When we come back , we turn to India , which is now under the largest lockdown in human history .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : That was Sophia Blum and Jess Regelson from Providence , Rhode Island , singing their rendition of “ Tinny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which they dedicated to their nephew and grandchildren , who they haven ’ t seen because of self-isolation in the midst of this pandemic .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. In a historic vote just before midnight, the Senate unanimously approved a record-shattering $2.2 trillion emergency relief bill to battle the unprecedented economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic. The House is set to vote on the bill on Friday. President Trump promises to sign it immediately. In a live-streamed legislative update Wednesday night, Vermont senator, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders spoke about who the bill will help.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: This package provides the largest expansion of unemployment benefits in American history, an increase of over $250 billion. Under this bill, average Americans who have been furloughed will be able to receive up to 100% of their salary and their health insurance for four months, for four months. Weekly unemployment benefits will increase by $600. So, if you were laid off, your unemployment benefit will increase by $600 above what it otherwise would have been. And right now the average benefit is about $364 for workers.
Now, also, very importantly, this expansion of unemployment will include part-time workers. It will include gig workers, like those who drive Uber cars. It will include tip workers and the self-employed, who would otherwise not be covered by unemployment insurance. So, in other words, what we’re doing now is, at a time when fewer than half of the American people would normally be covered by unemployment, what this legislation does is it expands it to the overall workforce and, on top of that, for many workers, would provide $600 a week more than they otherwise would have gotten. And that is one of the more important provisions in the bill.
In addition, this bill provides $250 billion to go out in one-time checks of $1,200 for adults and $500 for kids. Now, let me be very honest. As some of you may know, I wanted much more. I wanted every American family to be able to receive $2,000 every single month that we continue to exist within the crisis. So this does not do that. And this is clearly not enough to me, but that is what it is.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders speaking Wednesday night about the unprecedented $2.2 trillion emergency relief bill. The legislation would also provide $150 billion in direct aid to states and municipalities, more than $220 billion in tax benefits to companies, almost $120 billion in aid to hospitals and for veterans’ healthcare, and a half-a-trillion-dollar fund to provide loans and loan guarantees for corporations. Senator Sanders and other progressive critics are sounding the alarm over the corporate bailout portion of the bill and its limited oversight measures.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: I am very, very, very concerned about a $500 billion that will go out to the corporate world without — let me underline, without — the accountability and transparency that is needed. We do not need, at this moment in history, to provide a massive amount of corporate welfare to large profitable corporations. I think as many of you are aware, you have industry like the — industries like the airlines industry, among others, that have provided for stock buybacks, billions and billions of dollars for stock buybacks. They spent all their cash rewarding themselves and their stockholders. And lo and behold, today they need a major bailout.
So, the concern here is: A, do we trust the Trump administration to effectively decide which company will get the loans or the grants? The answer is, no, I do not. Do we think that these loans and grants during a political season will be used to benefit the president’s election prospects? Absolutely, I do.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s presidential candidate, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders speaking Wednesday night in Washington, D.C.
And this breaking news: U.S. unemployment claims have soared to 3.3 million claims last week, quadrupling the record from 1982.
When we come back, we turn to India, which is now under the largest lockdown in human history. Stay with us.
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AMY GOODMAN: That was Sophia Blum and Jess Regelson from Providence, Rhode Island, singing their rendition of “Tinny” by Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, which they dedicated to their nephew and grandchildren, who they haven’t seen because of self-isolation in the midst of this pandemic.