WASHINGTON, D.C.–People’s Action released the following statement from Executive Director Sulma Arias in response to President Biden’s State of the Union address.
“I wanted to take a few minutes of your time tonight to respond to what we’ve just heard from President Biden and highlight the good, the bad, and the work that still needs to be done.
“We know that the task of building real democracy starts with building community, and that is what People’s Action is all about: the joyous work of building powerful communities.
“We heard a lot about the good tonight from the president. Many of the themes and stories he shared were testaments to the power of working class people who in 2020 decided to take the country back by organizing.
“The Biden Administration has capitalized on the opportunity provided by voters to make real change, including the trillions of dollars in COVID relief and infrastructure funding now flowing towards our communities, the big steps forward on prescription drug prices, and the encouraging shift towards clean, renewable energy.
“Combined with his support for unions against some of the biggest and greediest corporations in the world, Biden has been in many ways the most progressive president in our lifetimes.
“When you only look at these big trends, the good is very clear. When you talk to poor and working people one-on-one, as we do in our deep canvassing programs, the bad also becomes very clear. Our people are still hurting.
“It’s true that unemployment is down to its lowest point in years at around 4 percent. At the same time, when I talk to my family members and friends, many tell me their credit cards are maxed out because they can’t afford to pay rent.
“They’re not alone. Credit card debt held by people in the U.S. is now up to $1.13 trillion, and median rent and grocery prices have both risen nearly 20 percent in the last two years. More people may have jobs, but more poor and working class people are struggling to pay their bills–and far too few public officials are willing to acknowledge this pain.
“The source of this pain is clear, and it’s not poor and working class people of any race or gender. It’s greedy corporations and the ultra-rich.
“They’re the ones squeezing us for rent and other essentials. They’re the ones driving an epidemic of health insurance claim denials. They’re the reason a climate emergency is bearing down on us. And, their influence is the reason that many of us who fought so hard to put Biden into office have been let down on issues like immigration and the unconscionable genocide in Gaza.
“This pain and the people behind it are giving the forces of racism and fascism an opportunity to grab more power. Earlier this week, it became clear that Donald Trump will be the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. We’ve been here before, and we know what’s on the line.
“And let’s be clear: greedy CEOs and billionaires are salivating over a new Trump presidency. They plan to use it to supercharge their attack on our freedoms and our well-being and tear down the progress we’ve won by organizing together. They’ll work with those who want to turn us against each other, to scapegoat immigrants, attack LGBTQ+ people, and stir up racism. They want us to turn on each other so that we can’t resist them in a powerful way.
“And that brings us to the work. We have a plan to counter the billionaires, greedy corporations, and Trump. We call the first part of our plan the Organizing Revival, and it’s a return to the discipline of community organizing so we can build the power we need to win the world we want. I encourage people to visit peoplesaction.org to learn more about it.
“When it comes to elections, our plan is simple: ‘Elect working people for everything.’ When poor and working class people run this country, everyone’s needs get met.
“We know we can do this. We’ve done it before just four years ago when we beat Trump. And we’ve done it again and again over the years, when people of every race, gender, and ZIP code reached towards each other and decided we would not be divided while our enemies extract profit off our pain.
“We won protections for pre-existing conditions and more recently for prescription drug price negotiation through Medicare.
“We’ve won trillions of dollars for our communities in COVID relief.
“We won a big battle against the private prison industry and greedy lobbyists by passing the MAT Act.
“And those are just part of a long chain of wins–imperfect wins, but still victories–from voting rights to Medicare and Social Security. Our movement has so much to be proud of.
“And, we do this kind of work every day with our member groups in dozens of states.
“We know we’ve won big battles in the past, and we know we have some big fights ahead of us. But no matter the challenge, we know that the answer is building a bigger we.
“People’s Action is a network of 38 member-based, power-building organizations in 29 states with more than a million members and tens of thousands of volunteers. We are from every race and background, speak many languages, and live in small towns, cities and rural areas. We are all of us! We share a vision of a country where everyone belongs and where everyone has what they need to thrive.
“In the face of a crisis of democracy, a crisis of climate breakdown, and a crisis of social cohesion, the discipline of organizing is the answer, and we’re committed to reviving it together.”
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People’s Action builds the power of poor and working people in urban, rural, and suburban areas to win change through issue fights and elections. We are a national network of 38 state and local grassroots power-building organizations in 29 states–united in the work of building a bigger “we.”
Contact: Derrick Crowe, press@peoplesaction.org