Former presidential hopeful Andrew Yang is arguing the failure to pass a COVID-19 relief package before the election did not help Democrats win seats in the House.
During an interview with the Washington Post, Yang acknowledged Americans suffering from the effects of the pandemic deserve more from lawmakers.
“I believe we should have had a stimulus relief bill, a second bill, that passed before Election Day. I do think that the American people have been devastated economically, socially. There are so many small businesses that have closed their doors and if you’re in a small town and the one restaurant in your town has shut its doors, as has been the case in parts of Massachusetts and parts of Iowa, it is very hard to be very optimistic in that situation,” Yang said.
He added, “People deserved better from us. Even when Congress passed the CARES Act in April, now it’s November. Did anyone really think that it would be seven months later that the pandemic would still be raging and growing and there would not be any further relief from the federal government? That, to me, is something that we need to try to remedy as quickly as possible. I believe the failure to pass a relief bill contributed to losses in the House.”
Watch his remarks below:
Former Democratic presidential candidate @AndrewYang says he thinks another stimulus package should have been passed before the election, adding that he thinks the failure to pass a relief bill contributed to some of the losses in the House. https://t.co/sw1atKzQKK #postlive pic.twitter.com/TZAHGEeLTh
— Washington Post Live (@PostLive) November 6, 2020
Robert Costa asked Yang if Democrats need to consider direct payments to Americans should they keep the White House next year.
Yang stressed Americans should have “direct payments now.” He noted 82% of Americans are in favor of cash relief.
Economists discovered the relief in April kept millions of Americans out of poverty and it “flowed right back into local economies.”
“There are dozens of members of Congress who agree with this. We just need to make it happen as soon as possible and if we act fast it’s possible that we can preserve the way of life for thousands of communities around the country that are right now falling apart,” Yang said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said late last week lawmakers should consider a new relief bill in early 2021, as IJR previously reported.