Miren Algorri, a member of Child Care Providers United (United Domestic Workers/AFSCME Local 3930), joined a growing chorus of voices in pushing back against attempts to raid the American Rescue Plan (ARP) of funds intended to strengthen public services in communities across America.
At a press call last week organized by Invest in America, which supports robust public investment, Algorri spoke on behalf of essential workers across the country to urge Congress to keep its hands off the ARP investments that were promised our communities.
“I want to tell Congress that our communities need and deserve all the investments made in the American Rescue Plan – and much more,” she said. “Congress must not take away the investment they promised to our communities while continuing to let big corporations and the wealthy get away with not paying their fair share.”
The ARP, landmark legislation signed by President Joe Biden in March, is a huge victory for working families made possible in part by union members who raised their voices to protect their communities. It includes $350 billion for states, cities, towns and schools to strengthen public services and protect the jobs of those who provide them.
But Republicans in Congress want to raid the ARP of these funds to pay for a federal infrastructure bill rather than raise taxes on the rich to do so. This is callous and irresponsible. The truth is that wealthy corporations and individuals have gone far too long without paying their fair share.
As AFSCME President Lee Saunders put it when Biden’s infrastructure bill, the American Jobs Plan, was first announced, “President Biden believes that working people and public services are the backbone of our communities. That is why instead of giving lavish tax breaks to profitable corporations, his plan will ensure they pay their fair share.”
On the call, Algorri joined Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Greg Puckett, a Republican county commissioner of Mercer County, West Virginia; and Zach Conine, the Democratic state treasurer of Nevada.
“It is not enough to go back to pre-pandemic levels of investment and staffing for essential public services like child care, emergency response, public education and sanitation,” Algorri said.
“We must make significant and long-term investments in our public services and infrastructure,” she added. “We can both recover from the pandemic and build back better, but not if some in Congress refuse to get serious about making the kinds of bold and significant investments we need to create more equitable, sustainable and healthy communities.”