rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/form/covid-19-petition?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-form-area-covid-19-petition' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Democratic Socialists of America https://actionnetwork.org/groups/dsausa https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/share_options/facebook_images/000/226/153/original/Image_from_iOS.png The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed truths about how our capitalist society runs. It has laid bare the injustice, the inequality, and the indifference to human suffering that are endemic to capitalism. In response, voices around the country, including some in Congress, are arguing for national paid sick leave, expansion of Medicaid, a moratorium on evictions, the forgiveness of student debt, and free healthcare. We need all of these things--but we’ve needed them for a long time. It should not take a disaster that threatens the well-being of people across the world for our leaders to muster up the political will to provide workers with basic human rights. Bernie Sanders understands this, and he has been saying it for his entire political career. Like Bernie, we believe that the things everyone needs to survive — food, education, safe shelter, healthcare — are basic human rights. These are the values of democratic socialists, and we will fight for them whether or not we’re in a global crisis. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party and the Trump administration have partnered on a bill that supposedly addresses the crisis but in reality only upholds the status quo. It is an outrage that in the midst of a global pandemic, the Democratic Party establishment is pushing half-measures such as this one. It is an outrage that, in this time, the Democratic Party establishment has coalesced around a candidate — Joe Biden — who does not believe in universal healthcare and who has stated that if elected President, he would veto any Medicare-for-All legislation that reached his desk. This is an outrage — but it’s not surprising, given that billionaires and corporations have for decades donated in the tens of thousands to the Democratic Party establishment and politicians like Joe Biden. If there were ever a time for bold leadership not bound by the old ways of doing things, this is it So, right now, we have a choice. We can let Trump and the Democratic Party establishment have their way, pushing private corporations as the “saviors,” letting them turn a crisis into a profit-making opportunity while millions die. Or, we can come together in solidarity and demand that the crisis be dealt with in the only humane way — with universal programs that guarantee basic needs as human rights, and pave the way to a more just society. Which side are you on? Please join us in demanding and organizing for: The Election of Bernie Sanders. We implore primary voters and leaders within the Democratic Party to support Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Primary and in November. We will not vote for any presidential candidate, Democrat or Republican, who does not support Medicare for All. Medicare for All is popular with a majority of all Americans and is supported by a whopping 80% of Democratic voters. There is no reason why Joe Biden should be allowed to ignore the demands of the vast majority of voters in his own party. Emergency Medicare for All. This means healthcare free at the point of service, with no co-pays, deductibles, or premiums. Comprehensive coverage, and universal coverage, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Developing a COVID-19 vaccine, with international cooperation, and distributing it for free should be our priority, not the profits of Big Pharma. Guaranteed Protections for All Workers. At least 30 paid days of sick leave and family and medical leave, and for all workers, not just a fraction as the bipartisan bill that just passed Congress allows for. No one should go to work when they’re sick or when a loved one is. Protective equipment and safety measures for healthcare and emergency workers. Emergency unemployment benefits for all workers, including tipped workers, gig workers, and independent contractors. Right to Safe Housing. This means a moratorium on evictions, foreclosures, and utility cutoffs. It means immediate provision of emergency housing for all who are houseless. Keep Families Together. Police, jails, and ICE hurt our communities every day, but they are especially dangerous during a viral pandemic. We demand a moratorium on deportations and the abolition of cash bail. Debt Forgiveness. If the Fed can pump $1.5 trillion into Wall Street, we can forgive student loan debts, and suspend payments for mortgages and other household debts for those who lose their jobs. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/covid-19-petition