Bailout People, Not Polluters
Members of Congress
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all must consider what we can do to protect our communities.
At Mighty Earth, we stand up to companies that threaten public health, the environment, and human rights. Now, we are standing vigilant as the giant corporations driving climate change seek to exploit this crisis. Congress is poised to vote on one of the biggest bailouts in history. But billions of dollars are slated to go to big polluters - money that should be used to support people who are losing their jobs or suffering from COVID-19.
40 percent of Americans say they don’t have $400 to cover an emergency; one missed shift could mean being unable to buy groceries, pay bills, or afford rent. But instead of focusing solely on the crisis everyday Americans are feeling, reports suggest the Trump administration and its allies in Congress are returning to a tired old playbook: more giveaways to billionaires and big polluters like airlines and oil and gas companies.
Congress must provide more relief to individuals who are struggling, not handouts to fossil fuel companies and no-strings-attached windfalls for climate-killing airlines. These companies have already been profiting by destroying our climate and threatening public health, and now they are literally going to profit from a pandemic. Bailout funds should not benefit oil and gas companies, and any airline that receives taxpayer money should have to commit to new climate standards -- just like automakers did in 2009.
Instead of prioritizing fossil fuel corporations’ profits, Congress must focus recovery efforts on the needs of the American people. Tell your representatives to bail out people, not polluters!
#PeopleNotPolluters
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To:
Members of Congress
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Member of Congress,
Americans are suffering due to this public health crisis caused by COVID-19. Meanwhile, giant polluters are waiting in the wings to be the first to reap the benefits.
40 percent of Americans say they don’t have $400 to cover an emergency; one missed shift could mean being unable to buy groceries, pay bills, or afford rent. In times of crisis, these are the individuals we need to be worried about. Not the companies that have already wreaked havoc on our climate.
Bailout funds should not benefit oil and gas companies, and any airline that receives taxpayer money should have to commit to new climate standards -- just like automakers did in 2009. I ask you to commit to bailing out people, not polluters, and to voting for a plan that will alleviate economic burdens on your real constituents, the American people.