John,

This week, House members have an opportunity to invest in a green economy and tackle environmental injustices by creating good jobs and rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure. This is a crucial time to demand bold action. 

For generations, people of color have suffered from the catastrophic health impacts of environmental pollution, the stifling economic impacts of low-paying jobs, and the social impacts of underinvestment in the critical services that communities need to thrive.

And 2020 has hit these same communities first and worst with a pandemic that has wiped away more than 100,000 lives and millions of jobs. 

This is a pivotal moment, John, to call for environmental, economic, AND racial justice. 

Last week, House Democrats introduced the Moving Forward Act. The proposed legislation would invest more than $1.5 trillion into rebuilding American infrastructure—not only our roads, bridges, and transit systems, but also our schools, housing, broadband access, and much more.

The Moving Forward Act is the bold roadmap we need to jumpstart a clean energy economy and tackle environmental injustice.

Here are three things we love about this robust bill:

1. Transportation systems have long segregated communities and pushed dangerous pollution into low income neighborhoods. This bill would put nearly $500 billion toward creating a zero-emissions transportation sector and encourage affordable housing near clean transit. 
2. Nearly 40% of Americans live within three miles of a port, which puts them at higher risk of breathing toxic air pollution from diesel trucks, ships, trains, and cargo equipment. The legislation would move our ports into the 21st century by implementing zero-emissions technologies that reduce pollution while also creating good jobs for surrounding communities, including for people who are locked out of the high-wage jobs of the future simply because of their criminal record.
3. As in-person learning became replaced with virtual classrooms, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed a deep “homework gap” across communities, a term used to describe the wide disparities in internet access. The Moving Forward Act invests $100 billion in broadband-related programs to bring service to those left out of the digital economy. 

Getting this bill through the House is just the first step. The biggest fight lies ahead: getting the Senate to bring the Moving Forward Act up for a vote. A strong show of support will help this legislation build the momentum and critical mass it needs to become law and impact millions of lives. We need all hands on deck. Send a message to Congress urging them to pass the Moving Forward Act. 

Many people are hurting right now. But this is a clear opportunity to pass legislation that prioritizes the health and wealth of communities that have been pushed to toxic “sacrifice zones” with unsafe water, higher levels of pollution, and little access to family-sustaining jobs.

It’s time for American ingenuity to be put to the test to build a new economy that’s better than before — one where the people hit first and worst by the COVID-19 and climate crises do not benefit last and least from the solutions — and increases access to economic opportunity and resilience for all.

Make sure Congress hears your demand for a future that’s more inclusive, creates green jobs, and tackles pollution and poverty at the same time. 

Thanks for taking action, 

Shannon Baker-Branstetter
Senior Policy Manager
Dream Corps Green For All