Never bet against Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren is engaging in an energetic campaign to be the next President of the United States in January. Warren is also currently a U.S. senator, which means she needs to stay focused on handling issues affecting Americans today. When Warren does what she did this morning, she reminds us just how skilled she is at wearing both her hats at the same time.
Warren unveiled new legislation today that would increase funding to combat the coronavirus crisis. Unlike Donald Trump, who seems more worried about how the crisis could affect his presidency and his poll numbers, Warren spoke honestly about the risk: “The coronavirus outbreak poses serious health, diplomatic, and economic threats to the United States, and we must be prepared to confront it head-on.”
In a press release, Warren accused Trump of proposing to decimate the Centers for Disease Control and requesting only $1.25 billion in emergency appropriations. In addition, Warren exposed Trump for asking Congress to reprogram funding meant to combat Ebola, and for reportedly transferring $37 million from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, according to reporting from the Washington Post.
Warren’s Prioritizing Pandemic Prevention Act actually attempts to solve two problems at once—while shrewdly pitting Trump’s stubborn racism against Americans’ health. The bill requires that all border wall funding (including money diverted from other accounts) be “immediately transferred… for the express purpose of combating coronavirus disease (COVID-19).” As Warren put it plainly, “Rather than use taxpayer dollars to pay for a monument to hate and division, my bill will help ensure that the federal government has the resources it needs to adequately respond to this emergency.”
Next year, Warren can look forward to becoming either the 46th President of the United States or one of the most popular senators in the 117th Congress. At the rate things are going, Trump can look forward to being surrounded by walls as he sits in prison.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month