Democratic Primaries

By Ana Kasparian, opinion contributor — 03/15/20 08:00 PM EDT

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill

As we find ourselves in the midst of a terrifying pandemic — which already claimed the lives of thousands across the globe and severely crippled financial markets — members of Congress scramble to offer Americans some degree of economic relief.

The "New York Times" listed all the ways in which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hopes to stimulate an economy and help those who are most vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19:

“The legislation...will include enhanced unemployment benefits, free virus testing, aid for food assistance programs and federal funds for Medicaid. The package also ensures 14 days of paid sick leave, as well as tax credits to help small — and medium-size businesses fulfill that mandate.”

It’s fascinating to see the same lawmakers who vociferously attacked single-payer health care as “too expensive” advocate for billions of dollars in emergency funding. That’s the way we do things here in the United States. We ignore wounds until they become so infected that the government ends up spending astronomical amounts to stop them from killing us. But what if we treated the wound at the first sign of bleeding?

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/487687-coronavirus-fears-lead-to-americans-demanding-government-intervention-in