Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio 13th District) said on Friday that the $1 trillion stimulus package currently being negotiated by lawmakers won't be nearly enough to make Americans whole again.
"Quite frankly I think the package that we're seeing coming out of Washington, DC is not even close to meeting the big need that we have," Ryan told Cheddar. "I think we need to be talking more like $2 trillion than $1 trillion, and at least a trillion for the workers."
The former Democratic primary candidate also advocated for bolstering unemployment insurance to ensure that people are making the same amount they did before their jobs.
"These are really essential things to keep the workforce safe, so when we go to kickstart things back up again, they're ready to slide back into the jobs that they lost," he said. "We need to be thinking much, much bigger and in much more innovative ways."
One important thing to keep in mind about this economic crisis, Ryan added, is that federal investment, in this case, won't grow the economy but merely keep it solvent, which may be difficult to swallow for those seeking a return on their investment for any kind of stimulus.
"This isn't like the Great Depression where you put money in people's pockets and then they go out and buy stuff," he said. "Now you're giving people money and basically saying pay your rent, pay your mortgage, pay your auto loan, and then buy food because you can't go anywhere."
The representative also believes the current package is skewed toward companies rather than workers and doesn't want to bail out companies without specific conditions banning stock buybacks or corporate bonuses.
"This is revealing the kind of corruption and rotting of the supply-side economic theory," he said. "The same people that just got the huge tax cuts are coming to the taxpayer to ask us to bail them out. So they get all the profits, and then they socialize the losses."
The Supreme Court appeared prepared Wednesday to uphold a Mississippi law that would ban almost all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The ruling is far from over, with Roe V. Wade at risk. Susan Rinkunas, senior reporter at Jezebel, joins Cheddar News to share the developments of the hearing.
The nine justices heard arguments Wednesday, around a Mississippi abortion law that bans the procedure after 15 weeks and appeared to lean toward upholding the law, while leaving uncertainty about the landmark precedent, Roe v. Wade. Kristin Ford, vice president of communications and research at NARAL Pro-Choice America joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Just about a week after being re-nominated, Federal Reserve Chair Jermone Powell is changing his tune. After nearly a year of referring to inflation as 'transitory,' Powell said he will retire the 'T' word as inflation remains elevated. Christopher Russo, Post-Graduate Research Fellow, Mercatus Center joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Airbnb has come under fire after an Axios report found that the rental company has properties available in China's Xinjiang region where the nation has been accused of committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims, demolishing their homes, and replacing them with tourist attractions.
With the emergence of the omicron variant, the U.S. is considering tightening international travel guidelines. The CDC said it might reduce the window for foreign travelers to submit a negative COVID-19 test from three days prior to one day before allowing entry.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest on Omicron, another school shooting in America and more. Plus, bidding farewell to 'transitory' inflation, and the controversy surrounding 'Lovely Bones' author Alice Sebold.
Disparities in tree coverage across America is a huge issue that affects air quality, heat exposure, and ultimately determines how resilient communities are against climate change. The Build Back Better Act is allocating $2.5 billion to boost 'tree equity.' Lemir Teron, assistant professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, joins Cheddar News to explain why this is a priority for Democrats today.
