While Congress considers allowing trade associations, a.k.a. corporate lobbying groups, to qualify for coronavirus relief loans, trade groups are pressing Congress to shield businesses from COVID-related lawsuits in radical ways. (1/10)

Maybe the word “trade association” makes your eyes glaze over. Here's how they work: Big corporations pay trade groups to lobby and influence policy so that it preserves profits, protects executives, crushes workers, and ensures it’s OK to screw customers too. (2/10)

It might be a bad look for companies to publicly request immunity if their workers and customers catch COVID. That’s why trade associations are so valuable. Companies can protect their brands by paying trade groups to do their dirty work, without disclosing the donations. (3/10)

It’s disturbing that Congress thinks corporate lobbying groups deserve any kind of special financial assistance when regular people are losing their jobs and can’t pay their rent. It’s even worse when you consider what these groups are doing right now. (4/10)

Yesterday, 200 lobbying groups wrote to Congress to demand they shield businesses from liability if their workers & customers catch coronavirus, arguing their members could be “forced to defend against an onslaught of frivolous lawsuits.” WTF? https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/200527_coalition_coronavirusliabilityprotections_congress.pdf (5/10)

One signatory on the letter, the National Air Carrier Association (a budget airline lobby), just wrote to the Transportation Secretary demanding she oppose any potential rules “restricting the use of the ‘middle seat’ to create social distancing,” per @politicopi. Cool! (6/10)

Another signatory, the American Health Care Association, represents nursing homes. This week, N.Y. Assemblyman @rontkim released a study showing that states' liability shields for nursing homes are linked to higher death rates. https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/05/andrew-cuomo-immunity-nursing-home-lobbyists-coronavirus-covid (7/10)

The groups are even demanding immunity for “public companies targeted by unfair and opportunistic COVID-19-related securities lawsuits” - in other words, companies accused of misleading investors about the impact that the coronavirus would have on their business. (8/10)

The letter was headlined by the U.S. Chamber, the biggest lobbying spender in Washington. Its members include oil companies, big health insurers, and retailers like Amazon and Home Depot - companies that have seen workers die from COVID. (9/10)

The Chamber letter shows exactly why Congress should not give corporate lobbying groups public money. Trade orgs represent the interests of big business, not the public. Please help us push back. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dempolicy (10/10)