New Year, New Stimulus: February 9 2021

Hi everyone!
We know that it's been a while; we hope that you are your families are staying safe and well. We are back and will be back on our biweekly schedule! We're excited to be here with you.
This list has a lot of heavy political info — mostly impeachment & various forms of COVID-19 relief. We break it all down for you and provide easy, concrete ways for you to get involved below. 
Peace & power,
​Teens Resist

what went down:

​Trump's Second Impeachment: On January 13, Former President Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached by the House of Representatives twice. On Tuesday, February 2, House managers explained their case against Trump in an 80-page brief. The former president has been impeached on the basis of inciting the insurrection at the Capitol that occurred on January 6. In their brief, House Democrats wrote: “If provoking an insurrectionary riot against a joint session of Congress after losing an election is not an impeachable offense, it is hard to imagine what would be.” 

The House has voted to impeach, so the process now moves to the Senate, where Trump’s impeachment trial will formally begins Wednesday at noon. (The Senate just voted, 56-44, that it is constitutional for the trial to proceed!) Two thirds of Senators must vote to convict, meaning that 17 Republican senators will need to side with their 50 Democratic colleagues for Trump to be convicted — a very unlikely result. 

If Trump is no longer in office, what would this conviction mean? Conviction after impeachment prevents that individual from ever holding public office again. (“The framers of the Constitution feared a president who would corrupt his office by sparing ‘no efforts or means whatever to get himself re-elected,’” said House Dems in their brief.) Given Donald Trump’s consistent disregard for the Constitution and our systems of government — and his insinuation that he would run again — that punishment is what many Democrats are after. Conviction aside, even the process of a trial sends a loud and clear message to the world.

On February 4, the House managers reached out to the former president’s legal team to ask if Trump would testify at his trial. His lawyers swiftly declined the offer. The Senate trial this week will be among the final milestones of the Trump presidency, and perhaps among the most momentous. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• If you live in a state with Republican senators (none of whom have pledged to vote to convict Trump) reach out to their offices and put pressure on them to vote with Senate Democrats! To find numbers & emails, visit your Senators’ websites and go to the contact page to submit an email or find an office number.
• Here is a script you can use to call or email:
  • ​Hi there,​ My name is [your name] and I am a [student/constituent/title] from [city/town you’re from]. I’m calling to urge Senator [Senator’s name] to vote to convict Former President Trump in his upcoming impeachment trial. Donald Trump was a threat to our democracy throughout his entire four years in office, which culminated in an insurrection of our nation’s Capitol. This attack on our democracy was directly incited by the former president, not only in the hours before the attack, but for years beforehand. Please, stand on the right side of history. Thank you very much for your time, I sincerely hope I can trust Senator [Senator’s name] to do the right thing.​

Further reading here.

COVID-19 Relief:

Stimulus Update: Currently, President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan is making its way through Congress. The plan includes:

• $1,400 stimulus checks (to supplement the $600 checks for a total of $2,000, which is what Democrats originally wanted for the second stimulus). While this add-up is technically what was promised by Biden & other Democrats, some people are upset that the checks aren’t a new $2,000. The amount of money now seems fixed, but this is good to keep in mind going forward. Some Democrats wanted to target the checks more and have them only apply to certain families; however, on Monday night, the majority of House Democrats voted against this, so it looks like the checks will be as widespread as the first two.​​​

• Weekly $400 unemployment benefits through September, with triggers included so that payments continue after September for those who need it, and payment adjustments linked to economic & healthcare needs.
• In accordance with their goal of 100 million vaccines distributed in the first 100 days, the Biden administration is including $160 billion for vaccine distribution. 
• The plan also expands child tax credit, giving $3,000-3,600 credits to families with children under 17, and expands childcare tax credits for up to $8,000 for families with multiple children under 13. 
• Tens of millions of dollars dedicated to safely reopening schools nationwide.
• Money for local, state, and tribal governments.
• Extending the eviction ban through September (see our eviction section for more info on this).
• The original plan was expected to include $15 minimum wage and student loan forgiveness. It now seems like those will be passed as separate policies to ensure that the rest of the relief package can pass as soon as possible.

    President Biden was initially looking to make the plan pass largely bipartisanly. However, after actually meeting with Republicans and reviewing their plan, which only allotted a third of what Biden proposed for vaccine & economic assistance, President Biden affirmed that he wanted to prioritize speed & more relief over bipartisanship. The plan is thus expected to pass the Senate by a very narrow margin.
The bill’s unusual journey through the legislature (going through the Senate before the House), which ordinarily approves a bill in the House before it goes to the Senate, was the result of a tactic called budget reconciliation. Democrats chose to use this strategy to avoid negotiating the gained the support of seventeen Republicans — normally, budget and revenue bills must pass with a supermajority (⅔), but budget reconciliation only needs a simple majority to pass in the Senate. The process has a 20-hour cap on filibusters, which was reached Friday morning. Now, the bill is in the House for budgetary tweaks. Since budget reconciliation does not require bipartisan support, there are strict guidelines as to how it can be used. More than 800 amendments to the package were drafted, which is why the package will not include Biden’s proposed $15 federal minimum wage. As the budget reconciliation process is only meant to be used for spending legislation, it is an appropriate avenue through which to pass the relief package. So, now we wait for the bill to be refined in the House, and we can expect the plan to be enacted in a couple of weeks. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Urge your Senators to push the third stimulus package through as quickly as possible and support only the version that provides Americans with the most support.
  • Number to call: 202-224-3121 (Capitol switchboard). Or, find your senator here and your representative here.
  • Script: Hi, my name is ______, I’m from _____, and I'm calling to ask you to push forward the third stimulus package with as much urgency as possible. I believe that our most important responsibility right now is to provide Americans with the emergency support they need. I also urge you to support only the most progressive version of the plan — refusing to limit stimulus eligibility or otherwise make compromises that will hurt those in need. I ask you to use your conscience in making your decisions on this topic. Thank you.
• Beyond stimulus, mutual aid is a way that you can continue to support people in your own community through a network of solidarity. Click here to find places to donate near you. And click here to understand more about mutual aid courtesy of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s office & activist and writer Mariame Kaba. 
• Stay up to date on stimulus efforts using this frequently updating article.

Eviction Moratoriums, Rent Relief, and the Housing Crisis (National and NY): 
COVID-19 has put the third of Americans who rent homes — over forty million —in a bind. For many, unemployment (or underemployment) has slashed the income that tenants need to pay rent. But as long as the most effective public health guidance remains to “stay inside,” it’s more critical than ever that renters are able to remain in their homes. 

Federal and state governments have addressed this crisis with a patchwork of programs designed to shield renters against the pandemic’s worst financial impacts. Eviction moratoriums prohibit landlords from kicking tenants out of their homes.

Rent relief programs provide economic assistance to tenants or landlords to make up for unpaid rent. On his first day in office, President Biden extended a federal eviction moratorium through the end of March; a current moratorium in New York State will expire in the beginning of May. Eviction moratoriums save lives; public health experts have found that 10,700 Covid-related deaths have been linked to the expiration of federal eviction moratoriums over the summer. 

Still, eviction moratoriums have holes. Landlords can choose not to renew a tenants’ lease, which has the same effect as an eviction, and evictions may be allowed for reasons other than nonpayment. Marginalized renters — including immigrants and non-English speakers, seniors without internet, and lowest-income tenants — may not know how to take advantage of the current protections. To qualify under the federal moratorium, renters must know to provide a signed copy of the CDC’s moratorium declaration. And while eviction moratoriums prevent actual evictions from taking place, they don’t stop landlords from starting eviction proceedings. Tenants who are unaware of their rights often respond to a notice of these proceedings by moving out far before they are required to. 
​
In addition, eviction moratoriums alone arguably just push the ball down the road; once they end, millions of tenants who’ve lost a year of income due to COVID will be again vulnerable to eviction. Rent relief to address the billions of dollars of back rent owed by American tenants — estimates range up to $70 billion — is necessary.   

Finally, COVID-19 didn’t create this country’s housing crisis. To qualify for most governmental assistance, tenants have to demonstrate that their ability to pay rent was affected by COVID (itself an added hurdle for undocumented people or those with difficulty getting their paperwork together). But millions were already struggling to attain and retain a stable and affordable living situation before the pandemic. Once this pandemic is over, our governments and communities will be tasked with a radical rethinking of how we distribute housing, property and resources. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Support a NYS rent relief plan recently introduced by New York Housing Committee Chair Senator Kavanaugh, which will create a program for disbursing the $1.3 billion of federal rent relief funding available to NYS through the December stimulus package. 
  • Senator Kavanagh wants to move as quickly as possible to get money into the hands of New Yorkers in need, rather than waiting until the April 1 budget deadline. His plan (which is still in flux) is a counter to Gov. Cuomo’s budget proposal, which calls for the funding to flow through a state social services agency.
  • Numbers to call: Call your state representatives! (Find them here).
  • Script: Hi, my name is ______, I’m from _____, and I'm calling to ask you to support Senator Kavanagh’s recent plan to disburse $1.3 billion of federal rent relief funding, S02742/A03918, including an emergency voucher and rent assistance program. Rather than waiting for April budget deadline and following Gov. Guomo’s plan, I urge you to fasttrack the process with Senator Kavanagh’s, getting rent relief into New Yorker’s hands as soon as possible. I ask that you use your conscience on making your decisions on this topic. Thank you.
• Donate: 
  • Pa’lante Harlem (People Against Landlord Abuse and Tenant Exploitation) advocates and assists renters in New York. Donate to their COVID-19 relief project here.  
  • Covenant House provides young homeless people with meals and homes to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. Donate here.  
• Support the third stimulus and relief package making its way through Congress right now! The bill would extend the federal eviction moratorium through September, and would include another $25 billion in assistance for back rent. Actions to support the stimulus are included above in this list. 

• Read about the pandemic’s toll on housing in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/06/business/economy/housing-insecurity.html ​

Local Restaurant Relief: COVID-19 has stripped American communities of so much. High on the list of casualties are America’s vibrant, economically supportive local restaurants which, according to a study done by the Independent Restaurant Coalition, are expected to be cut down by 85% due to forced closure by the end of the pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, local restaurants have lost 2.5 million jobs. Local, independent restaurants are vital to American communities for a number of reasons. One reason is the multitude of jobs they provide to Americans. So, wide-spread closure of restaurants with no economic support from the federal government is costly not only for a restaurant’s profits, but also for their ability to support or furlough employees whose jobs are unsafe to perform in a pandemic. This strains the restaurant’s owners as well as the employees. Those specifically in jeopardy from widespread unemployment are immigrants, as immigrants make up a huge portion of independent, local restaurants. 

The grim future for local restaurants also provokes concern over the tension between small, local restaurants and corporate chains. Corporate restaurants have a much easier time sustaining economic crises because of the enormous capital they have from their corporate backers and the low wages which they pay their employees. By stimulating local restaurants, the restaurant industry can shift away from reliance on huge companies which have been working tirelessly to use this moment of weakness to accumulate more wealth. 

Some good news on the matter is that on February 5th, the Restaurants Act of 2021 was reintroduced to Congress. While distinct from the last version, the Restaurants Act is a bipartisan effort to restabilize American local restaurants, indicating a strong chance of passing in the Senate. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
First, here’s a brief list of groups you can support, donate to, and volunteer at:

• The Independent Restaurant Coalition 
• New York State Restaurant Association 
• Order from local restaurants as much as you can
• Call your Representative and Senator and ask that they vote to pass the Restaurants Act of 2021. 
  • Number: 202-224-3121 
  • Script: My name is [YOUR NAME] and I live in [CITY]. I am calling to urge you to vote to pass the Restaurants Act of 2021, [for House: H.R. 793; for Senate: S.255]. While the Senate has passed some promising pieces of legislation that can provide substantial relief to restaurants all over the country, the Restaurants Act of 2021 can help to secure more essential relief for local restaurants. This will not only help restore life and support to our communities, return jobs, and save thousands of restaurants from closing, but it will also prevent countless lives. Due to the contagion of COVID-19, there is substantial correlation between unsafe dining and rising COVID cases. If restaurants feel financial pressure to open up, they risk the safety of not only their employees, but their customers. If they are provided appropriate federal financial assistance, social distancing can continue and countless lives will be saved. Thank you. ​

Death Care Support:
Content Warning: Focus on deceased bodies and Covid-19. No graphic descriptions or images.
As COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have spiked, so have the number of deaths. These deaths have caused a strain on the nation’s funeral homes, mortuaries, and morgues have the capacity to care for. This issue in and of itself is deeply uncomfortable to confront because of what it signifies about COVID response and the number of deaths we’re facing. That being said, a response to this crisis is necessary so that we can all be kept safe. 

While this is scary and unsettling to experience, it is not the first mass casualty event the American death care system has faced. There are plans and support systems in place to deal with a larger number of bodies than the existing system can handle. Unfortunately, despite their advantages, some of these support systems have been misrepresented in the news. 

One support system is the use of refrigerated trucks to care for bodies, which are a good example of disaster response in dealing with the dead. Another example is the use of places like Hart Island, a cemetery for unclaimed bodies, people who died and had no one to arrange their burial or cremation. It’s been used as a cemetery for over 150 years. Hart Island, and other cemeteries like it, have been getting more attention because there are more unclaimed dead bodies now due to Covid-19. Again, this is a normal response to large numbers of bodies. Everything is organized and bodies are not cast aside or forgotten. You can even go to https://www.hartisland.net/ to see some of the older burial records of the island. 

Deathcare is not always pretty, or easy to think about. During the pandemic and before, much of the labor in the United States has been acquired unethically, through the exploitation of incarcerated people. While this issue should be dealt with, the deathcare system is not entirely responsible. 

There are two important things to remember. First, while the Covid-19 pandemic is scary, there is no reason to fear the responses that help deal with its effects. Second, this pandemic has revealed many problems and shortcomings with the systems of our nation. Many levels of government have failed to meet communities’ and the nation’s needs. When the pandemic is over these problems won’t disappear. It’s our responsibility to fight for systems that will support all people. 
​
Action Items: 

• To stop the spread of misinformation you can check out some of these resources for a better understanding of pandemic responses. 
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLl5yikUKfk
  • https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/the-transformation-of-hart-island
  • https://www.hartisland.net
  • https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-01-07/national-guard-refrigerated-trucks-help-manage-covid-deaths
  • https://council.nyc.gov/data/hart-island/#:~:text=Hart%20Island%20was%20first%20used,81%20children%2C%20and%20829%20adults.
• Remember to check your sources of information for bias and misinformation. Use a reliable fact checker like Snopes or PolitiFact.
• Funeral costs are something that are, fortunately, being partially covered by the federal government as of this week. However, funerals and deathcare can be very expensive, so keep an eye out for GoFundMes and mutual aid requests related to funerals around you (one good resource is @openyrpurse on Instagram)​

This list was written by: Betty Kubovy-Weiss, Sonia Chajet Wides, Kate Griem, Miranda Licardo, Lily Seltz, Minna Bachman, and Leo Levine

And, Before you go... A Hilarious Kitten Zoom Filter Mishap!