Last week the Biden-Harris Administration released a robust proposal to address the nation’s crumbling infrastructure and pave the way toward economic opportunity and justice for all. The American Jobs Plan comes at a critical time as the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been deep and lasting for millions and continue to punctuate the longstanding inequities in the labor market. Indeed, a full 24% of our nation’s would-be workers have been unemployed for a year. And Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people, people of color, women, and immigrants, those impacted by the criminal legal system, and youth and young adults have borne the brunt of the pandemic’s devastation.
Heartland Alliance is pleased to support the proposal. We particula
rly applaud the commitment to racial equity woven throughout the proposal as well as the focus on the infrastructure required to support true economic recovery for all, including the care economy that supports workers and families.
The American Jobs Plan would create millions of good jobs—with resources targeted to those who have been economically marginalized.
We are especially pleased to see robust investments in:
- workforce development resources for communities that face systemic barriers to employment and those that have been currently and historically underserved as well as a focus on strengthening the infrastructure of these systems;
- a subsidized job proposal to address long-term unemployment and underemployment among people who face structural barriers to employment;
- a focus on workforce development and training investments for people who have been formerly incarcerated;
- investments in evidence-based approaches to reduce community violence;
- a call to eliminate the subminimum wage; and
- attention to strong labor standards to protect worker rights.
This proposal is a critical and necessary step toward meeting the extraordinary employment and economic needs that this moment demands and address deep-seated labor market inequities.
Heartland Alliance looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration, Congress, and federal agencies to advance this proposal and bring economic justice to all.
