The Congressional Black Caucus Issues Statement on New Emergency Interim Aid Senate Bill

The Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement in response to the emergency Interim Aid Bill from the Senate:

The Congressional Black Caucus supports the additional resources for small businesses included in the latest federal response to COVID-19 and congratulates Speaker Pelosi and Democratic leadership for ensuring the inclusion of $75 billion in emergency funding for hospitals and $25 billion to increase testing and contact tracing. We also support the inclusion of $60 billion for the SBA Paycheck Protection Program to assist small lenders and community-based financial institutions. These needed resources will serve the needs of minority-owned businesses and underserved small businesses and nonprofits. Moreover, the $30 billion for Minority Depository Institutions, Community Development Financial Institutions, community lenders, and small community banks and credit unions is welcomed relief. Additionally, this legislation provides $50 billion for the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, and $10 billion for the SBA’s Emergency Economic Injury Grant Program. However, much more needs to be done; for example, neither this bill nor the last bill included funding for the majority of the nation’s cities as resources were provided only for cities with populations greater than 500,000. There are only 33 cities in the country with populations of that size.

Although the inclusion of $25 billion for testing is a positive step forward, the CBC believes the bill should have required the Department of Health and Human Services develop a national strategy for testing Americans with a particular focus on concentrated efforts in communities where the death rate is out of proportion to the population. For example, African Americans are 30% and 61% of the population of Chicago and New Orleans, respectively, but 70% of those who died from COVID-19. Resources need to be provided directly to community and faith-based organizations to conduct outreach and public health education. In addition to targeted testing and outreach, there needs to be accurate data, including not just the death rate, but a complete picture of how the virus is affecting Americans. The Congressional Black Caucus will not just accept that nothing can be immediately done to address the extremely disproportionate rate of African Americans who are dying from COVID-19.

Black Georgia Democrat who endorsed Trump retracts resignation

Vernon Jones, the Georgia Democrat who said he would step down after endorsing President Trump for reelection retracted his resignation Thursday.

Jones announced on Twitter that he would remain in office for the remainder of his term after receiving support for his endorsement, which he said was “emotional” and “motivational.”

Yesterday, I announced my intentions to resign from my office. But shortly thereafter, the outpour of support I received was too great for me to ignore.

I will not allow the Democrats to bully me into submission. I will not let them win.

I will NOT resign. #MAGA pic.twitter.com/gR2MsU5Rb3

— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) April 23, 2020

Rep. Maxine Waters announces that her sister is dying of Coronavirus

While speaking in support of the Health Care Enhancement Act, Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat and chairwoman of the influential House Financial Services Committee, said Thursday that her sister is dying of coronavirus in a hospital in St Louis, Missouri.

Players Coalition and NFL donate $3M to black communities hit by coronavirus

The Players Coalition, an organization made up of former and current NFL players, donated $3 million to black communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The majority of Coalition members are black, and many of them already had experience in local activism and advocacy through their work on issues ranging from encouraging children to stay in school to police shootings of unarmed black men.

“We were not trying to reinvent the wheel,” Beachum, a free agent offensive lineman said. “We have a number of guys across the nation and we pinged them: ‘Hey what are the various grassroot organizations that you know are doing the real work?’ We wanted to add to or supplement what they are doing.”

“We’re football players,” he added. “We can’t go in, put on a mask and save a life right now.” But the coalition is able to help “those who are saving the lives, in the emergency rooms, in need of beds, etc.,” Beachum said.

The group asked members to figure out which groups already doing community work would benefit from help, and then sent funds to hard-hit neighborhoods in Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Washington, D.C. and South Florida.

Black Americans have been particularly hard-hit by the virus, making up 30 percent of those hospitalized due to COVID-19 despite comprising 13 percent of the population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has attributed this largely to racial disparities in the health care system.

“We have an opportunity to direct financial resources to the hardest hit populations,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “This pandemic is having a tragic effect on communities of color and through Inspire Change and our relationship with the Players Coalition, we are pleased to be able to help where we can."

Black Georgia Democrat who endorsed Trump abruptly resigns

UPDATE 04/23/2020: Vernon Jones Retracts Resignation.

Vernon Jones, a polarizing Democratic state lawmaker in Georgia says that he is resigning after he broke party ranks to endorse President Donald Trump’s reelection.

Jones, who represents parts of DeKalb and Rockdale counties, said that he will not complete his current term because was "sick and tired of me and my family being attacked and harassed by the Democratic Party."

Jones’ endorsement of Trump was quickly blasted by other Georgia Democrats. State Sen. Nikema Williams, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, issued a statement calling Jones an “embarrassment” and said he “does not stand for our values.”

On Wednesday, the Georgia lawmaker responded, saying that he was an "independent thinking " and that his "first amendment right to freedom of speech is under seige."

"I intend to help the Democrat Party get rid of its bigotry against Black people that are independent and conservative. I endorsed the White guy (Donald J. Trump) that let Blacks out of jail, and they endorsed the White guy (Joe Biden) that put Blacks in jail," Jones said. "Turn the lights off, I have left the plantation. Someone else can occupy that suite."

Jones said his resignation was effective immediately.

[FOX ATLANTA]