Greens point to bipartisan withdrawal of economic support measures even as the pandemic continues, endangering the health and well-being of millions

Green Party of the United States
www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Contact:

Michael O’Neil, Communications Manager, [email protected], 202-804-2758
Diana C. Brown, Co-chair, Media Committee, [email protected], 202-804-2758
Philena Farley, Co-chair, Media Committee, [email protected], 202-804-2758

Green Party candidates and leaders are promoting equal pay, universal basic income, and fair taxation to address the economic failures of both major parties in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As millions continue to financially suffer, Greens say their economic program is needed now to protect working class families.

The loss of unemployment benefits for 7.5 million workers — combined with rising food and housing costs — have endangered the health and well-being of millions of people, with a disproportionate impact on women who have had to leave the workforce to care for children and elders.

“In Black communities where many of our men have been enslaved by the penal system, the gender pay gap is crushing families where women are the head of household. Along with making salaries public so that employees can call out pay inequities, we need to be pushing for unions, paid sick time and tax funded universal childcare,” said Claretta Duckett-Freeman, at-large candidate for the Lansing, MI City Council. (ClarettaForLansing.org)

The most recent Census Bureau data shows women of all races earn, on average, just 82 cents for every $1 earned by men of all races. For Black women the amount is 62 cents, for American Indian and Alaska Native it is 57 cents, and for Hispanic or Latino it is 54 cents.

"The pandemic highlighted the good that could be achieved by a Universal Basic Income (UBI) tacked to inflation to pay for necessities like food and shelter for every adult, regardless of their employment or other income" said Green Party National Co-ChairChristopher Stella. "But whenever a family living paycheck to paycheck suffers an interruption of income — whether from an injury, a layoff, or any number of the catastrophes life can throw our way — they are going through an ordeal similar to what millions in our communities have suffered through over the last twenty months. If carefully calculated, and guaranteed to keep pace with inflation and recent price hikes in food, housing, and other household staples, UBI could be the life preserver needed for these folks to stay afloat." continued Stella.

In a report just issued by the USDA, the number of families with children experiencing food insecurity (defined as hungry, skipped a meal, or did not eat for a whole day) increased to 7.6% of the U.S. population in 2020. The rate increased to 20.4% for households with unemployed members unable to look for work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Green Party supports instituting a wealth tax, cutting tax loopholes, blocking the use of tax havens, and imposing a financial transaction tax on stock and bond trades to finance a universal basic income.  

“We need to take money from the billionaires who exploited workers during this pandemic . . . and give it back to people in the form of direct stimulus payments,” said Edwin DeJesus, Jr., Green Party candidate for New York City Council District 22, who supports a 25% wealth tax on billionaires who profiteered during COVID. (https://www.edwinfornyc.com)

MORE INFORMATION

7.5 million workers just lost their unemployment benefits and Biden didn't step in: 'I'm very, very angry because this is an attempt, in my opinion, to force us all back to work in low paying jobs', https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-benefits-ending-today-no-extension-pua-peuc-delta-2021-9

"We haven't seen anything yet": Food prices continue to climb, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/food-prices-continue-to-climb/

U.S. Rents Are Increasing at ‘Shocking’ Rates of More Than 10%, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-29/u-s-rents-are-accelerating-at-shocking-rates-of-more-than-10

Quick Facts About the Gender Wage Gap, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/03/24/482141/quick-facts-gender-wage-gap/

Household Food Security in the United States in 2020, https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/102076/err-298.pdf?v=8963.7

2021 Candidate Endorsements, https://www.gp.org/tags/2021_endorsements

The Green Party supports Working People, https://www.gp.org/green_party_supports_working_people

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