May, 11 2009, 02:42pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Karen Dolan, Institute for
Policy Studies: kdolan@ips-dc.org; (202) 234-9382 (m)
Ricardo Valadez, Jobs With
Justice: Ricardo@jwj.org; (703) 340-0610 (m)
A Bold Agenda for Change from Grassroots America: Voices from the Front Lines of the Economic Crisis
A coalition of progressive poverty-fighting networks will present
to Members of Congress and their staff about the impact of the economic
crisis on those most affected by the crisis. The coalition will present
a comprehensive agenda to the Congressional Progressive Caucus and ask
for the assistance in ensuring those on the front line of this crisis
are not forgotten.
The educational briefing and
agenda release will occur Tuesday, May 12, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30
a.m. in 121 Cannon House Office Building.
WASHINGTON
A coalition of progressive poverty-fighting networks will present
to Members of Congress and their staff about the impact of the economic
crisis on those most affected by the crisis. The coalition will present
a comprehensive agenda to the Congressional Progressive Caucus and ask
for the assistance in ensuring those on the front line of this crisis
are not forgotten.
The educational briefing and
agenda release will occur Tuesday, May 12, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30
a.m. in 121 Cannon House Office Building.
This educational briefing will
focus on the hundreds of thousands of people most severely affected,
including maids, janitors, day laborers, housing activists, worker rights
advocates and others from the front lines of the economic crisis.
When:
Tuesday, May 12th, 10:00 a.m to 11:30 a.m.
Where: 121 Cannon House Office Building
Who: Sarita Gupta,
Jobs with Justice
Elce
Redman, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
Jihan
Gearon, Indigenous Environmental Network
Tammy
Bang Lu, National Day Laborers Organizing Network
Pablo
Alvarado, Right to the City
Roxanne
McKinnon, City Life in Boston
Wanda
Salaman, National Domestic Workers Alliance
Ai-jen
Poo
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS:
Institute for
Policy Studies
For more than four decades, the Institute for Policy Studies
has transformed ideas into action for peace, justice and the environment.
It is a progressive multi-issue think tank. www.ips-dc.org
Jobs with Justice (JWJ) is a national network of over 40 coalitions
in 25 states across the country that engage workers and allies in campaigns
to win justice in workplaces and in communities where working families
live. www.jwj.org
Grassroots Global Justice
(GGJ) is an alliance of 65 U.S.-based grassroots groups and networks
who are organizing to build an agenda for power for working and poor
people. www.ggjalliance.org
The National Day Laborer
Organizing Network (NDLON) has over 40 affiliates across the country
organizing to improve the lives of day laborers in the United States. www.ndlon.org
Right to the City is
a national alliance of over 35 membership-based organizations and allies
organizing to build a united response to gentrification and displacement
in our cities. www.righttothecity.org
The National Domestic Workers
Alliance is comprised of over a dozen domestic workers organizations
across the country. www.domesticworkersunited.org
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U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 Americans and pardoning 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes, a move the White House described as "the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history."
But the president's sweeping use of his clemency power as his term nears its conclusion did not appear to extend to any of the 40 men currently on death row—some of whom have been there for decades.
According to a White House fact sheet, those who received commutations "have been serving their sentences at home for at least one year under the Covid-era CARES Act," a law that extended the amount of time in which people could be placed in home confinement to reduce the spread of the virus in prisons.
The White House did not name those who received pardons or commutations but said the list includes a "decorated military veteran," a "nurse who has led emergency response for several natural disasters," and "an addiction counselor who volunteers his time to help young people find their purpose."
The Biden Justice Department paused federal executions in 2021, but President-elect Donald Trump pledged on the campaign trail to expand the use of the death penalty and is expected to allow the executions of the 40 men on death row to take place if they're still there when he takes office next month.
In a statement on Thursday, Biden said that he has "the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses."
"That is why, today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer," the president said. "I am also commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who are serving long prison sentences—many of whom would receive lower sentences if charged under today’s laws, policies, and practices. These commutation recipients, who were placed on home confinement during the Covid pandemic, have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance."
Biden, who campaigned on ending the death penalty at the federal level, vowed to "take more steps in the weeks ahead" as his administration reviews clemency petitions, leaving open the possibility of commutations for death row prisoners.
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The push to pass the NDAA comes as this congressional session winds down and after the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced last month that it had failed yet another audit—which several lawmakers highlighted after the Wednesday vote.
Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), co-chairs and co-founders of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, said in a joint statement, "Time and time again, Congress seems to be able to find the funds necessary to line the pockets of defense contractors while neglecting the problems everyday Americans face here at home."
"Instead of fighting the rising cost of healthcare, gas, or groceries, this Congress prioritized rewarding the wealthy and well-connected military-industrial complex with even more unaccountable funds," they continued. "After a seventh failed audit in a row, it's disappointing that our amendment to hold the Pentagon accountable by penalizing the DOD's budget by 0.5% for each failed audit was stripped out of the final bill. It's time Congress demanded accountability from the Pentagon."
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Several of the 124 House Democrats who voted against the NDAA cited those "culture war" policies, in addition to concerns about how the Pentagon spends massive amounts of money that could go toward improving lives across the country.
"Once again, Congress has passed a massive military authorization bill that prioritizes endless military spending over the critical needs of American families. This year's NDAA designates $900 billion for military spending," said Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), noting the audit failures. "While I recognize the long-overdue 14.5% raise for our lowest-ranking enlisted personnel is important, this bill remains flawed. The bloated military budget continues to take away crucial funding from programs that could help millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet."
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As Omar, a leading critic of the U.S.-backed Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, also pointed out: "The NDAA includes a provision that blocks the Pentagon from using data on casualties and deaths from the Gaza Ministry of Health or any sources relying on those statistics. This is an alarming erasure of the suffering of the Palestinian people, ignoring the human toll of ongoing violence."
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Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who also opposed the NDAA, wrote in a Tuesday opinion piece for MSNBC that he looks forward to working with DOGE "to reduce waste and fraud at the Pentagon, while strongly opposing any cuts to programs likeSocial Security, Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau."
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