By Julie BUTCHER

On Monday evening, State Senator Anthony Portantino, Congressman Adam Schiff and California Labor Secretary Julie Su participated in a virtual town hall, primarily to answer federal, state and EDD (California’s state unemployment agency) questions.

Former Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos hosted the hour-long conversation, which is available to view at https://youtu.be/AlQQnoM1QnY.

Congressperson Schiff reported that he thought [Treasury Secretary] Mnuchin and [House Speaker] Pelosi could reach an agreement on a COVID-19 relief package “left to their own devices,” but that he does not believe “there are 13 Republican votes for anything – there’s a strong majority that don’t want to do anything more.”
This, he noted, is in the face of people hurting desperately and businesses hanging by a thread. The need for help is immense and should not wait until after the election. Schiff emphasized the need to resource COVID-19 surge testing (anyone who needs a test should get it for free with results within 24 hours). “We didn’t need to have this loss of life. Masks are a public health, not a political, issue.”

Labor Secretary Su explained the importance of the work being done by the agency she leads.

“Multiple public crises have been revealed and exacerbated,” she said. Her focus is three-fold: the health and safety of workers, particularly of frontline essential workers; ensuring that all workers get the unemployment benefits to which they are entitled; and to help drive an economic recovery “as we get back to work safely” that creates jobs, supports small businesses, increases fair wages and builds back more equitably. She recounted plans introduced by Gov. Gavin Newsom and recently adopted legislation, including the new provision of 80 hours of paid sick leave annually, the governor’s climate change actions and work to improve areas such as childcare and transportation.

“If workers are going to work when they’re sick, we can’t stop this virus,” she said. “More than one-third of all California workers earn less than $15 an hour.”

Su oversees the operations of the troubled the Employment Development Dept. (EDD) and explained steps being taken to update and overhaul the technology to improve the process.

Brian Tanimoto explained the work being done by the EDD to fix the problems and to improve the agency’s website https://edd.ca.gov/. Californians can also call (818) 409-0400.

Portantino noted that his office has received more than 650 calls for help accessing unemployment benefits.
Portantino shared news about his legislative efforts to help California families, notably maintaining funding for public education. AB1885 is aimed at assisting homeowners facing financial stress and AB1731 makes work-sharing easier. SB275 provided adequate protective equipment for essential workers. The senator also detailed work to accelerate bond sales, particularly for public works construction projects, and work he is doing with Senator Bob Hertzberg to utilize future tax revenue for stimulus.

Schiff was asked about wearing masks; he replied the director of the CDC determined that if Americans wore masks alone that would be as effective against COVID-19 as a vaccine.

“There’s no need to do clinical trials on that,” he said adding that he had introduced legislation to distribute masks and produce public service announcements urging the wearing of masks. “It has become tragically partisan. It’s like second-hand smoke.”

Schiff responded to a question about the appropriate response to Azerbaijani and Turkish aggression against Artsakh, recounting a meeting with administration officials representing the U.S. in the Minsk Group “to let Azerbaijan know in no uncertain terms that if it continues its hostilities – and it’s Azerbaijan that won’t cease fire – that there will be real consequences. We provide approximately $100 million in military aid to Azerbaijan, which we should not be providing, certainly not when they’re committing heinous attacks against civilians.”

“Similarly, we need to push back hard against Turkey and let Erdogan know the aid he is providing, bringing foreign fighters from Syria and adding fuel to the fire, are incompatible with Turkey’s obligations under NATO, in fact forcing the reexamination of Turkey’s role in NATO,” Schiff said. “We urged that be communicated to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that we need to be tough on Turkey and Azerbaijan, that the threat to withhold funds and our relationship with both countries is what is needed to get Azerbaijan to stop the violence.”