WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released the following statement Thursday after weekly unemployment claims shot up to a record-shattering 6.6 million, showing the economic devastation of the coronavirus crisis:
“Durante las últimas semanas, he hablado con tantos trabajadores de Oregón y propietarios de pequeñas empresas que están aterrorizados por lo que significa esta crisis para sus familias y su futuro. Detrás de estos números históricamente malos hay millones de personas reales cuyas vidas se han visto sumidas en el caos sin culpa propia. Necesitamos lanzar salvavidas a las familias que luchan, y necesitamos sacar esos salvavidas ahora.
“As the federal government works to implement the last relief package and Congress works to write the next one, let’s keep our priorities straight. This cannot be another opportunity for the rich and powerful to line their pockets.
“We need to make sure that help gets to real people and small businesses. We need to make sure that help gets to every state and territory across this great nation—not just red states or blue states. And we need to do much more to help the working families who are the backbone of America, and who are facing a crisis the likes of which most of us have never seen.
“We will get through this by supporting one another. Let’s get to work.”
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