Jayapal, Markey, and Lawmakers Introduce THRIVE Act

Legislation to create jobs for 15 million Americans, focused on advancing economic recovery, racial justice, and climate action

WASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Yvette Clarke (NY-9), Jason Crow (CO-6), Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Ilhan Omar (MN-5) joined U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today in  introduced comprehensive economic recovery legislation that would authorize at least $1 trillion per year until 2031, providing family-sustaining, union jobs for more than 15 million American workers.

The jobs, which range in industry from clean energy to care work to manufacturing, would help to drastically cut carbon pollution by 2030, while also advancing gender, environmental, Indigenous, economic, and racial justice, especially for Black and Indigenous individuals.

“The THRIVE Act puts forth a unified vision for a recovery that is deeply intersectional, that is extremely bold, and that meets the scale of the multiple crises we face from a climate catastrophe and racial injustice to economic hardship and attacks on working people,” said Rep. Jayapal. “While centering the needs of impacted individuals and following the lead of powerful organizers on the ground in communities across America, we are championing a transformative vision that helps people thrive and not just survive.”

“Our country is facing four overlapping crises – mounting economic inequity, the climate crisis, racial injustice, and the coronavirus pandemic – and the THRIVE Act will ensure we have an intersectional response that is proportionate to the scope of the problems we face,” said Sen. Markey. “We need good-paying union jobs, we need justice for all, and we need to act on climate. Last night, we heard President Biden’s vision for how to recover from the crises we face. The THRIVE Act would bring the scale, scope, and standards that we need to make an equitable recovery happen and ensure that all people, everywhere, can truly thrive.”

The THRIVE Act would authorize investments of at least $1 trillion per year for FY 2022-2031. Additionally, the bill would create a THRIVE Board – appointed by the President – of representatives from impacted communities, unions, and Indigenous Nations to guide the $1 trillion per year in new investments for the following:

• Upgrade our infrastructure for clean water, affordable public transit, and a reliable electric grid (creating five million jobs);

• Expand access to wind and solar power, electric vehicles, and healthy buildings (creating four million jobs);

• Protect our rural and urban spaces, wetlands, prairies, forests and support family farmers who are embracing regenerative agriculture (creating four million jobs); and

• Invest in public institutions and care for children and the elderly — essential work that is underpaid and largely performed by women of color (creating two million jobs).

Additionally, the bill would require strong labor, equity, and climate standards to build a more just economy, including: wage and benefit guarantees and access to unions, community benefit agreements and equitable hiring and contracting that favors women and Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and environmental justice and climate standards.

“We’re in a pivotal moment right now to switch gears from relief to recovery. This needs to be done through intentional, intersectional policies that make the economy work for everyone,” said Rep. Dingell. “By advancing good-paying union jobs, racial equity, and climate action, the THRIVE Act brings a transformative approach to rebuilding our economy. With the collaboration of colleagues, advocates, and activists, we can work together to ensure we’re recovering with a focus on justice and healing.”

“The THRIVE Act would enforce strong environmental, labor and equity standards so we can build an economy that works for our communities, not at our expense,” said Rep. Barragán. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform society by centering the recovery around equity, climate, justice, and jobs. Future generations are watching. We have to meet the moment.”

“For too long, people have said that meeting our climate goals would pose a threat to our economy. The THRIVE Act will not only help us cut climate pollution – but it will put 15 million people to work in good, family-sustaining union jobs,” said Rep. Blumenauer. “It is past time for this type of transformational change to right ongoing historic wrongs, center sustainability, and offer economic opportunity and jobs across all communities.”

“Our nation is in the midst of a reckoning. We’re facing intersectional crises around COVID-19 and its impact on our economy, systemic racial injustices, climate change, and glaring infrastructure inefficiencies, all of which, have forced us to come to terms with the deep disparities that have existed in our nation for generations. While I am very happy to see the recovery outlined in the American Jobs Plan, I am confident we can do much more,” said Rep. Clarke. “Now is the time to think boldly with a once-in-a-century investment to create millions of good-paying jobs, to uproot the systemic racism and injustice that has been embedded in our society, and to lay the foundation for a 21st Century America that is powered by clean energy. I am proud to be co-leading the THRIVE Act in the House of Representatives, which will invest 10 trillion dollars over the coming decade to create an economy that is sustainable, equitable, pro-worker, and racially just, of which we can all be proud.”

“Climate change is the defining challenge of our age and our future depends on how we rise to meet it,” said Rep. Crow. “The THRIVE Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fight climate change and rebuild our economy while centering our efforts around racial, environmental, and economic justice. These efforts would create 15 million good-paying, union jobs, with 163,000 jobs in Colorado in the first year alone. This is the sort of ambitious effort we need to tackle the climate crisis.”

 “The urgency of the climate crisis has never been more pronounced,” said Rep. Khanna. “We have a tremendous opportunity to lay out an investment for the next generation. In doing so, it is incumbent upon our generation of legislators to build and strengthen an economy rooted in sustainability, clean technology, and smart manufacturing, all while advancing justice for Indigenous, Black, and brown communities. The THRIVE Act is precisely the kind of bold initiative this moment requires. Proud to introduce it in partnership with Senator Markey, Rep. Dingell, and so many other courageous Members.”

“In the richest country in the world, everyone should be able to live in a stable home, with good-paying union jobs, access to childcare and family leave, with clean air and drinkable water,” said Rep. Omar. “Unfortunately, the pandemic has made that dream even further out of reach for many Americans. Millions of Americans have fallen further into poverty during the current crisis—disproportionately people of color, women and Indigenous people. Whether it’s poverty, climate change, or racial inequities, we need solutions that meet the scale of the challenges we face. The THRIVE Act is that solution and I am proud to support it.”

A copy of the THRIVE Act can be found here.

This legislation is endorsed by the following organizations: Center for Popular Democracy, Climate Justice Alliance, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Greenpeace USA, Green New Deal Network, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indivisible, Movement for Black Lives, People’s Action, Right to the City Alliance, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Sierra Club, Sunrise Movement, US Climate Action Network, the Working Families Party, Common Defense, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, American Federation of Teachers, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Communications Workers of America, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), United We Dream, Bold Alliance, Public Citizen, GreenLatinos, Poder LatinX, 350.org, MADRE, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, Native Movement, Clean Water Action, Moms Clean Air Force, MoveOn, and many more.

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Issues: Civil Rights, Environment, Jobs, Labor, & the Economy