Progressive Coalition to Congress Ahead of Sept. 27 Deadline: “Stop Playing Politics with People’s Lives”
Washington, D.C.– As President Biden and members of the House and Senate weigh a potential vote early next week, the ProsperUS coalition reiterated its support for the full agreed-upon $3.5 trillion reconciliation package alongside the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Select quotes from progressive advocacy leaders are below. Please email press@prosperus.org to speak with ProsperUS Spokesperson Claire Guzdar.
Jhumpa Bhattacharya | VP of Programs and Strategy, Insight Center
“Any further cuts to the reconciliation package are asking Black and brown families to choose between having clean air and water, a safe place to rest their heads, a job that pays a living wage, affordable child care or time with their sick or newborn family members.
“Anyone standing in the way of passing the entire BBB agenda is saying one (or more) of those things is not a priority or that they don’t care about racial and gender justice. People on the ground know that none of these priorities are negotiable. It’s time politicians on the Hill understood this too and stopped blocking all Americans from being able to meet their basic needs.”
Jennifer Epps-Addison | Co-Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy
"On Tuesday, CPD worked with allies and affiliates to bring more than 10,000 people to DC to welcome back Congress. People came from all across the nation, in the middle of a pandemic, because they know that this is a historic moment that brings historic opportunities to rebuild our country into one that ensures that every person in this country, no matter their status, can have the jobs and care they need to thrive.
“Our communities cannot wait any longer. Bridges and roads cannot come before people. Over the next week, CPD and its affiliates will mobilize to ensure that we put people first, by demanding that the infrastructure package is only voted on when we are sure that the legislative policies that support our people are also at the forefront."
Tope Folarin | Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Studies
“It is profoundly urgent that we prioritize the needs of ordinary families instead of bowing to the greed of corporations and the ultra-wealthy. We have a critical but brief opportunity to give Americans the tools they need to thrive and our civic and moral obligation is to do our utmost to fund programs and measures that keep us all healthier, safer, and more prosperous.
“We need critical investments to address the most urgent crises of our time: the pandemic, climate change, poverty, racism, and burgeoning inequality, thanks to an economy rigged in favor of the rich and powerful. The $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan offers bold, visionary investments that our communities have been calling for, from vaccine equity to paths to economic recovery, and we must not hesitate to embrace that vision if we are to meet the scale of the challenges we face."
Jeremie Greer | Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director, Liberation in a Generation
“The $3.5 trillion is the compromise and Congress can pay for it — if our elected officials find the courage to enact the progressive tax and monetary policies that voters support. The fact is: Any cuts or delays are unacceptable and would cost all of us, people of color especially, far too much.
“The only thing we should be negotiating right now is how to ensure that these public dollars go to communities in need and aren't funneled to corporations that already hoard too much wealth and power. More importantly, this reconciliation fight is a fight to dismantle the same racist barriers to access and equity that entrenched a crisis of inequality long before the pandemic and recession hit. Our people need bold action and they need it now.”
Claire Guzdar | Director, Campaigns and Partnerships, Groundwork Collaborative
“These investments aren’t just numbers on a page or props for political posturing — every dollar represents real investments in climate, housing, caregiving, and other critical programs that our communities need to thrive. Anyone calling to dilute the reconciliation package should have the courage to face the workers, families, and communities they want to cut out of the bill and explain to them why they are putting corporations and rich donors ahead of our economic recovery.”
Amy Hanauer | Executive Director, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
“The proposals from the Ways and Means committee make the U.S. tax code more equitable and raise substantial revenue from those most able to pay. These proposals would be the most significant progressive reforms to our tax code in generations. Yet they fall short of the plan released by the Biden administration earlier this year and leave some of the crucial work of tax reform undone. Congress has an opportunity to make sure that the country does not miss this historic opportunity to truly transform the tax code.”
Carol Joyner | Director, Labor Project, Working Families, Family Values @ Work
“The nation's working families – especially Black and Brown families – cannot afford for Congress to play politics with the reconciliation bill. Immediate and bold action on paid leave and child care is needed to address the multiple care crises brought about by the pandemic while finally laying the foundation for an economy that works for all of us. We need a government that takes the side of working people and the vulnerable and that guarantees the shared prosperity we have earned. We call on Congress to address the needs of our families by keeping paid leave and child care as high priorities in the reconciliation bill, with no cuts and no delays.”
Stephen Michael | Co-Executive Director, Main Street Alliance
"When a limited set of big corporations and wealthy individuals hoard money and resources, as encouraged by our skewed tax system, small businesses lose. Conversely, improved public sector services like those outlined in the Build Back Better plan and greater customer purchasing power are all investments that can be better funded if the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share. It’s a win-win-win for small businesses, working families, and their communities.”
Mary Small | National Advocacy Director, Indivisible
“The reconciliation bill is not a wish list – it's the bare minimum our communities need. This is an opportunity to create an economy that works for all of us, addressing the urgent crises of climate change and inequality, investing in necessities like housing, child care, and health care, and creating a pathway to citizenship for immigrants. Shrinking this proposal or delaying its passage would not be an act of fiscal responsibility, but instead a failure to meet the needs of the moment.”
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About ProsperUS
ProsperUS is a coalition of major progressive labor, grassroots, movement, faith-based, small business, and policy organizations at the state, local, and national levels. We’re coming together to ensure the government at all levels hears the demands of the people, meets the historic nature of the crises we face with bold ideas, and fearlessly commits the public resources needed to implement them. Learn more at prosperus.org and join the conversation using the hashtag #ProsperUS.
