Your voice is needed to demand just relief measures from Congress
Congress continues to work on coronavirus relief aid. It’s imperative that this legislation center the needs of the most vulnerable, including poor and working-class individuals and families, those who are experiencing homelessness, and those in need of life-saving health care.
The Collaborative Center for Justice, along with many other advocates, urges lawmakers to prioritize:
- Expanding and closing the gaps on paid sick leave, so that every worker has access to job protected paid leave to care for themselves and loved ones. Increase wage replacement levels to 100% wage replacement so that workers can afford to take leave when needed.
- Free medical care for testing and treatment of coronavirus regardless of immigration status; medical supplies including PPE for all frontline workers (not just doctors and nurses, but all who have contact with the public)
- Additional funding for services and housing for people experiencing homelessness
- The National Low-Income Housing Coalition has advocated for an ask of $11.5 billion in Emergency Solutions Grant funding to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness
- 95 Members of Congress recently advocated for $3 billion to fund 200,000 new Housing Choice Vouchers which assist low-income people in securing stable housing in the private housing market
- Additional supports for low-income individuals and families, including: an increase of 15% to the maximum SNAP benefit and increasing the minimum SNAP benefit to $30; rent freezes and rental assistance, not just eviction freezes; expansion of cash assistance payments to more people, including immigrants
- Protections for farm workers, who face unique vulnerabilities including close working and living quarters, lack of paid sick time, and insufficient access to vital health care.
- Farmworkers should have: greater access to health care services, childcare, paid sick time, more spacious housing, and hazard pay
While it’s critical that state and federal government respond to the immediate needs of low-income and vulnerable people, we also need to urge our leaders to take the long view. This is not a time to put a band aid on decades-old wounds of inequality. A one-time check from the federal government, which won’t even reach all those who need it, is not going to meet peoples’ basic needs during this crisis.
These relief efforts have the potential build a society that is attentive to the needs of those who currently live at the margins. We can craft policies that uplift low-income communities so that they no longer live at the edge of economic devastation. We can prioritize the needs of people of color who entered this crisis with disproportionately high levels of chronic illness like asthma.
Now is a time to think about the investments that need to be made by our federal and state governments that will fundamentally change the way we respond to the needs of our most vulnerable residents, and that will ensure that all people can feed themselves and their families, have a safe roof over their head, and meaningfully contribute to their community even after this crisis.
Some important steps toward structural change could be incorporated into the next legislative package. We’ve read (Politico, The Hill) that the fourth large legislative package could be largely around infrastructure and/or jobs.
- Urge Members of Congress to include climate provisions in any new infrastructure projects
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- Investments should be made in: improving and expanding fast-speed rail across the country and upgrading energy grids to support more reliance on renewable energy sources
- Infrastructure projects should aim to improve living conditions for poor and vulnerable communities. Advocates and experts have suggested: investment in building more affordable housing units and upgrading public housing to make it more modern and energy efficient
- Any new jobs program should be tied to greening the economy. We could put people back to work in ways that move our country toward 100% renewable energy and significant climate strategies such as: building and installing solar panels and wind turbines, updating our electric grids and increasing battery storage capabilities.
Members of Congress need to hear directly from their constituents about what you think is needed as your community and the people you care about face this crisis. Now is the time to contact your US Senators and Representative to urge them to advocate for the inclusion of these measures in the next relief package.
Who to Contact:
Calls and emails are needed to your US Representative and Senators to urge them to prioritize the needs of low-income and vulnerable individuals and families.
Senator Murphy (860) 549-8463; www.murphy.senate.gov/contact
Senator Blumenthal Hartford (860) 258-6940 Bridgeport (203) 330-0598; www.blumenthal.senate.gov/contact
Representative John Larson: 860.278.8888; https://larson.house.gov/contact/email
Representative Joe Courtney: 860.886.0139; https://courtney.house.gov/contact
Representative Rosa DeLauro: 203.562.3718; https://delauro.house.gov/contact
Representative Jim Himes: 866.453.0028; https://himes.house.gov/contact/email
Representative Jahana Hayes: 860.223.8412; https://hayes.house.gov/zip-code-lookup?form=/contact/email-me
Local/Statewide focus:
“Gov. Lamont and city leaders must prevent the coronavirus crisis from further segregating Connecticut’s economy” (Hartford Courant, April 20)
Further reading:
“Global Green New Deal Supporters Urge World Leaders to Learn From Coronavirus to Tackle Climate Crisis” (Common Dreams, March 18)
“We need to build back better” (350.org, April 16)
Thank you for your advocacy from home!
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