40+ Organizations in Puerto Rico call on President Biden to eliminate the Fiscal Oversight and Management Board
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 2, 2022
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2022
Media Contact: Lauren Henson, press@populardemocracy.org
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO —Today, over 40 organizations in Puerto Rico requested a meeting with President Biden in response to the debt restructuring plan and the austerity measures imposed by the Fiscal Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) established by the federal law PROMESA. These organizations have come together to call for the elimination of the FOMB and find other solutions for a just economic recovery in Puerto Rico.
The letter states:
“Besides its role in the bankruptcy proceedings, the Board also has final say on fiscal plans and budgets–a power that has been used to impose austerity measures and invalidate laws passed by Puerto Rico’s elected representatives. For example, the Board has called for: 1) increasing rates for tolls, water, and electricity–even though customers in Puerto Rico pay almost twice as much as customers in the U.S.; 2) weakening labor protections for workers; 3) closing hundreds of schools; 4) slashing the budget of the University of Puerto Rico and hiking its tuition costs; 5) significantly cutting healthcare expenditures; 6) cutting funding for municipalities; and 7) narrowing eligibility for the food assistance program.
We want to believe that when Congress passed PROMESA and President Obama signed it into law while you were Vice President, all relevant actors had the intention of providing a pathway for Puerto Rico to exit its worst fiscal crisis in a manner that would help us reach a just recovery. However, having lived through the implementation of PROMESA for the past five and a half years, we cannot in good faith believe it is creating the right path for us. This is why we call on you to take steps to disband the Board and work with us to find solutions to ensure a just recovery for Puerto Rico. We hope to meet with you soon to discuss these concerns and share our proposals.”
Full text of letter can be viewed here.
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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY
The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.
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Sen. Manchin Has Failed Working Families, But We Will Continue Fighting to Build Back Better
Sen. Manchin Has Failed Working Families, But We Will Continue Fighting to Build Back Better
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2021
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2021
CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org
NEW YORK - In response to Sen. Manchin (D-WV) saying today that he won’t support the Build Back Better bill, Ana María Archila, Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy, issued the following statement:
“We are devastated that Sen. Manchin has chosen to work with Republicans to kill a lifesaving bill that would provide working families support they desperately need, especially during a pandemic. CPD Action has worked tirelessly for months to pass BBB because we believe it’s our best chance to address the critical, interconnected challenges facing our communities: healthcare, housing, climate change, paid leave, economic justice and immigration.
“And with a single Fox News appearance, that lifeline may be gone — for tens of millions across America, and for the one in 5 children in West Virginia who live in poverty, the 170,000 West Virginia children who benefit from the expanded Child Tax Credit, and the 26% of adults in his state who have lost their natural teeth because of lack of dental coverage.
“Sen. Manchin could have stood with his Democratic colleagues to endorse vision, hearing and dental coverage for our seniors through expanded Medicaid. He could have worked to bring 17,000 new jobs to West Virginia each year, including employment in a growing, sustainable 21st century energy industry. Instead, he’s chosen to side with his billionaire friends and those in the coal industry.
“We work for ‘popular democracy’ — the idea that all voices in a thriving democracy should be heard — so we find it especially galling that one Senator from a small state can single-handedly undermine the agenda that millions of voters, especially from our Black, brown, low-income and immigrant communities, turned out to support in 2020.
“This outcome is undemocratic and unacceptable. Our people deserve elected officials who put their interests first, and our communities deserve bold, transformational policies that replace broken systems with something better.
“We will continue to fight for safe, secure and affordable housing, expanded healthcare access, a pathway to citizenship and a plan to address climate change that is ambitious enough to match this moment of existential crisis. We will continue to fight to Build Back Better.”
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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY
The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.
The Unrig the Courts Coalition’s Statement on the Final Report from the Presidential SCOTUS Commission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2021
CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org
Washington, DC -- Today, the Unrig the Courts Coalition released the following statement on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States:
“While we deeply appreciate the efforts of some of the commissioners to try to issue a report that actually wrestled with the solutions to the existential crises facing the Supreme Court, we are disappointed to see that this final report is little more than a pros and cons list. Based on the Commission’s report, you’d hardly know there was anything wrong with the Court, let alone that the six conservative extremist justices are casually preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade and 50 years of precedent on abortion rights, not because there’s a constitutional reason to do so, but because their loyalty to Republican politics and power demands it.
“This is a Court that has fallen irretrievably into partisanship. Not only are they poised to gut reproductive rights, they’ve already destroyed workers’ rights, torn up the Voting Rights Act twice, granted personhood to corporations, and allowed a flood of money to corrupt our democracy. This is not a Court whose conservative membership can be redeemed. If the Commission won’t say it, then we will: the only solution now is to expand the Supreme Court.
“We call on Congress to pass the Judiciary Act immediately, and add four seats to the Supreme Court, so we can restore balance and integrity to this damaged institution.”
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The Unrig the Courts Coalition is a coalition dedicated to structural court reforms, the most important of which is expanding the Supreme Court.
CPD Supports House Progressives in Calling for Rep. Lauren Boebert to be Stripped of Committee Assignments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 6, 2021
CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org
NEW YORK - The following is...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 6, 2021
CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org
NEW YORK - The following is a statement from Jennifer Epps Addison, Co-Executive Director of Center for Popular Democracy, regarding Representative Lauren Boebert’s Islamophobic comments:
“The Center for Popular Democracy supports the House Progressive Caucus in their calls to remove Rep. Boebert from her committee assignments following her Islamophobic comments and hate speech toward Rep. Ilhan Omar.
“We condemn similar comments from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and call for there to be an ethics investigation to hold both Congresswomen accountable.
“We support Representatives Bowman, Bush, Carson and Jayapal along with 35 other House progressives who in a statement last week said, ‘Our response to behavior that creates a dangerous work environment and furthers a climate of toxicity and intolerance cannot be silence. Congress cannot forgo accountability when a Member engages in hate speech that dehumanizes not only a colleague but an entire people. We cannot be complicit as members of this body, who swore an oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States, trample on the fundamental right of religious freedom.’
“We stand in solidarity with the House Progressive Caucus and the Muslim community and strongly denounce the dangerous, hateful rhetoric being utilized by Representatives Boebert and Greene. We call on House leadership to take immediate action.”
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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY
The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.
CPD on Conviction of Ahmaud Arbery’s Murderers: We Must Dismantle White Supremacy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 24, 2021
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 24, 2021
CONTACT: Danielle Strasburger, press@populardemocracy.org
NEW YORK - The following is a statement from Jennifer Epps Addison, Co-Executive Director of Center for Popular Democracy, on the conviction of Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William Bryan Jr. in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.
“The murderers of Ahmaud Arbery were rightfully convicted. But a guilty verdict can’t bring Ahmaud back or undo the suffering caused by his death, and justice will not fully be served until we dismantle white supremacy.
“The jury found Ahmaud’s murderers guilty, but too often we have seen the legal system uphold white supremacy at the cost of Black lives and Black suffering. Our legal system was never meant to deliver justice -- it was built to uphold and enforce white supremacy and inflict violence on Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and marginalized communities.
“White supremacist violence and white vigilantism will continue to terrorize our communities until white supremacy is defeated.
“Now, more than ever, we need to follow the lead of organizers in Georgia like New Georgia Project Action Fund. We will continue to organize and build a powerful multi-racial people’s movement to protect our communities and defeat white supremacy.”
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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY
The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.
Passing BBB is a Historic Achievement – It’s Time for the Senate to Deliver
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 19, 2021
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 19, 2021
CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org
NEW YORK - In response to the U.S. House of Representatives passing the Build Back Better bill, Jennifer Epps Addison of the Center for Popular Democracy, issued the following statement:
“The passage of the Build Back Better bill by the House is a historic achievement. It is a victory for the community organizations who worked tirelessly to elect progressive champions and put Biden in the White House and have kept the pressure on Democratic leaders to push for transformational change. The Build Back Better bill passing the House is the first step towards creating a more resilient and equitable country. It now rests on the Senate to pass the full bill.
“Real, lasting change requires replacing broken systems with something better. It requires investing in and supporting our Black, brown, low-income and immigrant communities with bold, transformational policies.
“The Build Back Better bill addresses many of the critical, interconnected challenges facing our communities: healthcare, housing, climate change, paid leave, economic justice and immigration. We thank our progressive leaders for demanding a big, bold package for our communities, and we are proud to continue to stand with them.
“But despite the significant victories won in this bill, it still falls short of what our communities desperately need and short of the original promises of the Build Back Better agenda. Corporate interests, unwilling to pay their fair share in taxes and determined to continue gouging working families, successfully lobbied for a narrower bill.
“In particular, the temporary immigration protections in the House bill fall significantly short of what our communities need, expect and deserve. The Senate can and must pass a pathway to citizenship, which begins with green cards. Immigrants have been on the frontlines of pandemic response, and we cannot ‘build back better’ without the protections of permanent residency. Seventy percent of the American public supports creating a pathway to citizenship, and we will not accept any excuses for broken promises. We urge the Senate to pass the full Build Back Better bill with a pathway to citizenship.
“We will continue to fight for safe, secure and affordable housing, expanded healthcare access, a pathway to citizenship and a plan to address climate change that is ambitious enough to match this moment of existential crisis.”
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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY
The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.
Rittenhouse Verdict Emboldens White Violence
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 19, 2021
CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org
...FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 19, 2021
CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org
** Wisconsin organizers and Black leaders at Center for Popular Democracy are available for interviews by phone, video, or in-person from Milwaukee, WI. To schedule, please reach out to press@populardemocracy.org. **
NEW YORK - The following is a statement from Jennifer Epps Addison, Wisconsin native and Co-Executive Director of Center for Popular Democracy, on the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse:
“Today we mourn. Today we are afraid. Afraid that tomorrow it will be our kids, our neighbors, our parents or us who are murdered without consequence.
“Our legal system was never meant to deliver justice -- it was built to uphold and enforce white supremacy and inflict violence on Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and marginalized communities.
“Judge Bruce Schroeder’s actions and the verdict will further embolden white supremacist violence. Every elected official who has failed to take action to reimagine our legal system -- from policing to courts -- has blood on their hands.
“Now, more than ever, we need to follow the lead of organizers in Kenosha and Wisconsin like Black Leaders Organizing Communities and Leaders Igniting Transformation. The jury’s verdict emboldens white supremacists, and it signals that this violence is welcome -- we will continue to organize and build a powerful multi-racial people’s movement to protect our communities and defeat White Supremacy.”
CPD recommends the following Wisconsin-based groups and activists on Twitter:
@blocbyblocMKE @lit_wi @Angela_Lang @rebdlyn @LeadersKenosha @liberatemke @Marci4mke###
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY
The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.
BIF Includes Vital Investments in Our Future – But It’s Not Enough; CPD/A Network Calls on Congress to Pass President Biden’s Full Agenda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 15, 2021
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 15, 2021 CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org
NEW YORK – In response to President Biden signing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework today, Jennifer Epps Addison of the Center for Popular Democracy, issued the following statement:
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework includes billions of dollars of investment in infrastructure that our communities need to thrive, including:
$55 billion to provide safe drinking water to millions of children at home and at school;
$90 billion to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve mobility for millions of US workers through a historic investment in public transit;
And $65 billion to update the nation’s power grid, facilitating the expansion of a sustainable energy industry based on renewables.
“These provisions represent important victories for CPD/A Network members like Flint Rising, which has been fighting for serious federal action to protect children from lead poisoning for years.
“Still, this bill falls far short of the investment needed to meet the challenges we all face. A strong, equitable economy requires that we invest not just in roads and bridges but also in programs that ensure that the people who use them are able to live with dignity.
“As Veronica Coptis, Executive Director of the Center for Coalfield Justice explained,
“‘For generations, our community has been dependent on the coal industry while simultaneously having our health compromised by the terrible environmental effects on our air and water. The bill passed in the House includes billions to begin to clean up some of this damage while also offering our communities much-needed jobs. But it doesn’t change the system that left us so vulnerable in the first place. For that, we need more than clean-up — we need significant investments in our health, our families and our children.’
“The Build Back Better bill provides this missing piece, strengthening communities like Veronica’s through investments in healthcare, housing, climate change, paid leave, economic justice and immigration--which must come in the form of a pathway to citizenship.
“Congress must work to deliver on the promise of President Biden’s full agenda, to begin to transform our society into one that values the health and vitality of communities over the profits of corporations.
“The millions of people who have been demanding change from our leaders are not done. We will continue to fight for transformational change and for the well-being and dignity of all of us. We will continue to press the power of the people against the power of corporate interests. And we will win.”
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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY
The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.
Our Immigration System Must Stop Treating Our Communities as Threats that Need Targeting
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 1, 2021
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, October 1, 2021
CONTACT: press@populardemocracy.org
NEW YORK CITY - In response to the release of a memorandum on “Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law” by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, issued the following statement:
“On Thursday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas released a memorandum establishing priorities for immigration enforcement. Let us be clear: there is no moral way to determine who a system rooted in white supremacy and anti-Blackness should target for the dehumanizing treatment of being caged and banished.
The repeated violence perpetrated by CBP and ICE prove time and time again that these agencies cannot be reformed and must be abolished. Our immigration system must stop treating our communities as threats that need targeting; instead, it should be transformed into one that allows our communities to thrive.”
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ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY
The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.
Violence Against Haitian Migrants Must Stop Immediately
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
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For Immediate Release Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Contact: press@populardemocracy.org
NEW YORK CITY - In response to the horrific abuse being perpetrated by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) against Haitian migrants seeking safety at the border, Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, issued the following statement:
“While seeking refuge in the United States, Haitian migrants have been met with Border Patrol agents brandishing whips. Many are also being deported as more and more deportation flights leave for Haiti. This state violence against Black immigrants must stop immediately. The Biden administration must put an end to CBP abuse, halt deportations to Haiti, and provide humanitarian assistance and parole.
The repeated violence perpetrated by CBP and ICE prove time and time again that these agencies — rooted in white supremacy and anti-Blackness — cannot be reformed and must be abolished.”
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The Center for Popular Democracy is a national network of more than 50 community organizations dedicated to achieving racial and economic justice through local grassroots organizing. CPD trains and supports leadership, staff, and members to grow base-building organizations to scale and leverage that strength to win cutting-edge policy victories at the federal, state and local level.
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