WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats today unveiled the Economic Justice Act, a major new legislative proposal to make $350 billion in immediate and long-term investments in Black communities and other communities of color.  For far too long, Congress has underfunded critical priorities like public health, child care, infrastructure, and job creation in these communities. Senate Democrats’ plan would make a historic federal commitment to communities of color through ten major investments over the next five years.

“We will not make progress until we acknowledge and tackle all of the ways that centuries of racism and oppression have affected the lives of Black and Brown Americans – their health, job opportunities, housing, education, generational wealth and so much more,” said Senator Brown. “Congress must act to eradicate the systemic racism that permeates every aspect of American society. I am proud to join my colleagues in this effort to address some of the disparities that Black and Brown communities have endured for generations. People of color built this country. We must stand with them and work with them to find long-term solutions to these pervasive issues.”

Senate Democrats’ Economic Justice Act would seek to partially offset the cost of the proposal by re-programming $200 billion of unspent CARES Act funds that were previously provided to the Department of Treasury to facilitate corporate lending by the Federal Reserve. Instead of allowing hundreds of billions of dollars in government assistance to sit idly at the Treasury, Senate Democrats would seek to re-program these dollars during negotiations for a fourth COVID-19 bill, in tandem with the robust provisions of the House’s Heroes Act. Importantly, this proposal would be in addition to the historic House-passed Heroes Act, not a replacement or supplement.

The Economic Justice Act has two main objectives: to immediately help communities of color respond to the pandemic through a $135 billion investment in child care, mental health and primary care, and jobs, and to build wealth and health in these communities over the next five years by investing $215 billion as a down payment for infrastructure, a homeowner down payment tax credit, Medicaid expansion, and more.

Through ten new initiatives, this Democratic proposal would begin efforts to reverse decades of underinvestment in communities of color.

The Economic Justice Act was introduced today by Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Committee on Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Committee on Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI), Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE), Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Senate Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA).

A summary of Senate Democrats’ Economic Justice Act can be found here and a backgrounder can be found here:

“Incremental and piecemeal investments will never repair the centuries-old systems that have kept African American and other communities of color at the bottom rung of the ladder,” said Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League. “The Economic Justice Act is the first comprehensive and targeted effort to break down the systems that exacerbate every economic crisis and deny the benefits of every economic upturn for African Americans. We applaud Leader Schumer and his colleagues for a forward-looking approach that incorporates many of the goals the National Urban League has pursued for decades. This economy will only recover when we address the critical issues of childcare, healthcare, infrastructure, homeownership, and access to capital. The Economic Justice Act is a bold plan that sets the table for any real discussion of social and economic justice in this country. 

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