Category Archives: Policy Update

Taxes and President Biden’s American Families Plan

Taxes and President Biden’s American Families Plan

Colleen Ross
April 28, 2021

The American Families Plan, the second part of President Biden’s transformational plan for U.S. jobs and families, makes investments into our nation’s children, our education system, and our health care.

While some members of Congress have already begun a strong campaign against the plan’s changes to the individual side of the tax code, it is long past time to modernize the tax code and make it more just.

Here’s a look at the transformational investments in the American Families Plan:

  • Extend the Child Tax Credit increases in the American Rescue Plan through 2025 and make the Child Tax Credit permanently fully refundable.
  • Make the Earned Income Tax Credit Expansion for childless workers permanent.
  • Extend expanded ACA premiums tax credits in the American Rescue Plan.
  • Permanently increase tax credits to support families with child care needs.
  • Expand summer EBT to all eligible children nationwide.
  • Create a national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program
  • Offer two years of free community college to all Americans, including Dreamers.

Read the White House summary of the American Families Plan here.

The American Families plan reverses the biggest giveaways that were passed in the 2017 tax law and reforms the tax code so that all contribute to our shared prosperity in a just tax system, including the wealthiest.  These reforms are urgently needed at a time when economic inequality and the continued persistence of the racial wealth and income gap are harming our country. We cannot be a healthy country while systemic racism and economic inequality continue harming individuals and families in our nation.

For this reason, we support the tax reforms included in the American Families Plan which specifically address the ways that the tax code widens racial disparities in income and wealth. These reforms include:

Increasing the top tax rate to 39.6%

One of the 2017 tax cut’s clearest giveaways to the wealthy was cutting the top income tax rate from 39.6 percent to 37 percent, exclusively benefitting the wealthiest households—those in the top one percent. This rate cut alone gives a couple with $2 million in taxable an annual tax cut of more than $36,400. The President’s plan restores the top tax bracket to what it was before the 2017 law, returning the rate to 39.6 percent, applying only to those within the top one percent.

Enforcing compliance with the tax code

The American Families Plan would invest $80 billion to strengthen IRS enforcement, which has been decimated over the last decade and improve reporting on the income for high-earners. According to ProPublica, millionaires get audited at close to the same rate as workers with less than $20,000 of annual income. The Treasury estimates these enforcement improvements could raise $700 billion over 10 years.

Changing how capital gains are taxed

The biggest source of income for the wealthiest people in the U.S. is the profit they make from the gain on stock or other assets; this is known as capital gains. (This creates the much-talked about reality where Warren Buffet pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.)

The American Families Plan would partially fund the programs it proposes to invest in children and families by taxing income from capital gains like the taxes workers pay on their wages. It does this by closing two major loopholes that create the current system where wealth has a lower tax rate than what many middle-class workers pay on their wages.

Our partners at Americans for Tax Fairness explain how the plan closes these two loopholes:

  • For people making more than $1 million a year, or the richest 0.3% of taxpayers, Biden wants to eliminate the nearly half-off tax discount they currently get when they sell assets at a profit. Instead of paying today’s top tax rate of 20% on the profits from the sale of assets like corporate stock, the rich would pay the same nearly 40% they already pay on their big salaries and other income. The current capital-gains discount is what allows a billionaire to pay a lower tax rate than a teacher or truck driver.
  • Biden also wants to tax the wealthy on the accumulated gains of assets they inherit—gains that now go completely untaxed. The plan would only apply to gains over $1 million per individual, $2 million per couple ($2.5 million per couple when combined with existing real estate exemptions). This reform will narrow the wealth gap, limit the creation of economic dynasties, and raise revenue for services vital to all of us who do not inherit a fortune.
  • Together, these two reforms would raise around $300 billion over 10 years exclusively from rich people. This will narrow the wealth gap and limit the creation of economic dynasties. It will also fund investments in healthcare, childcare, education and tax credits for working families that raise millions of children out of poverty. (The Tax Policy Center estimated a similar plan proposed by the Biden presidential campaign would raise $327 billion.)

Congress Must Pass H.R.40

Congress Must Pass H.R.40

Jarrett Smith
April 20, 2021

Luke 19:8-10

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

On Wednesday, April 14 history was made in our country when the H.R.40 Bill – Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposal for African Americans Act received a favorable vote at the House Judiciary Committee markup. This is the first time a House committee has considered the bill for recommendation to the House floor since it was first introduced in 1989 by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

Reparations is a matter of racial and social justice. The case for reparations is 400 hundred years in the making when the first enslaved Africans were sold in Virginia in 1619. The questioning of the humanity of Africans  throughout the world as Africans and their descendants are always treated and portrayed as if they are inferior to human beings or not even being human by the hundreds of years spent dehumanizing them, and treating them as though they were property to be bought and sold.

Now is the time for reparations. Congress must act and pass H.R.40. NETWORK applauds Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18), the bill sponsor, for her part in bringing this bill forward and successfully getting it out of the Judiciary Committee. Currently, the bill has 180 co-sponsors. We need your help getting the remaining 38 other members of Congress to support H.R.40.

H.R.40 allows us to take the first steps towards dismantling systemic racism, cultivating a more inclusive community, and rooting our economy in solidarity so that we can Build Anew together.

This is a historic and rare opportunity to advance a federal policy that seeks to address and rectify the sinful effects of slavery in the United States. Therefore, NETWORK calls on Congress to pass H.R.40 now. It is time for the most in-need to receive recompense as many times as necessary for there to be justice.

Read the statement on H.R.40 from NETWORK’s Executive Director, Mary Novak.

NETWORK Honors 159th Anniversary of D.C. Emancipation Day

NETWORK Honors 159th Anniversary of D.C. Emancipation Day

Audrey Carroll
April 16, 2021

Today, April 16th, NETWORK celebrates Emancipation Day. On this day in 1862, slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia through the Compensated Emancipation Act. This was a key milestone in the struggle for racial justice that still continues today. 

Emancipation Day honors an important day for people who were enslaved, and invites us to reflect on the larger issues of racial equity, freedom, and democracy. We know that D.C. statehood is a racial justice issue, and until all 706,000 D.C. residents have equal representation, justice cannot be achieved. 

As we celebrate D.C. Emancipation Day, we call on all Members of Congress to join Representative Eleanor Norton and pass H.R.51 to work towards achieving long-awaited racial equity and building a new, just system of political representation. 

Earlier today, Washington faith leaders gathered to call for D.C. Statehood and honor the significance of Emancipation Day. If you missed it, you can watch on NETWORK’s Facebook.

Healthcare is a human right

During Black Maternal Health Week, We Call on Congress to Pass the Momnibus Act

During Black Maternal Health Week, We Call on Congress to Pass the Momnibus Act

Caraline Feairheller
April 14, 2021

This week, Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14), and 77 original cosponsors introduced a resolution recognizing Black Maternal Health Week, “to bring national attention to the maternal health crisis in the United States and the urgent importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing persons.”

The United States has a maternal mortality health crisis that must be addressed. Around the developed world, pregnancy-related mortality rates are falling, except in the United States – where birthing people are dying at a morally unacceptable and rising rate. Approximately 700 women die each year due to pregnancy-related causes with an additional 50,000 experiencing severe health complications from pregnancy. This crisis is most severe for Black birthing people, who are dying 3 to 4 times the rate of their white counterparts. This is a tragedy for our society and for the families who have lost loved ones, and the racial disparities are unjust and sinful.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the barriers to accessing care and exacerbated the already existing racial disparities. Congresswoman Adams, co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus pointed this out, saying, “Black Americans were one of the hardest hit communities during this pandemic, and Black and Hispanic mothers accounted for a majority of COVID-19 cases among pregnant women in the United States.” We must dismantle the systemic racism in our health care system and our nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to build anew together.

Earlier this year,  members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act (H.R.595/S.346) to address the maternal health crisis. In a country where at least 60% of maternal deaths are preventable, the Momnibus helps to fill current policy gaps in receiving care.  This comprehensive legislation seeks to address social determinants of health, invest in community-based organizations, fund research development and data collection, and invest in efforts to diversify the perinatal workforce. In total, the Momnibus is a combination of 12 standalone bills that have been introduced or reintroduced into the 117th Congress. NETWORK is proud to support the Momnibus Act, applauds the Black Maternal Health Caucus for its leadership, and calls on Congress to pass this critical legislation immediately. The Momnibus includes the following legislation:

The Social Determinants for Moms Act (H.R.943):

Introduced by Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), this legislation recognizes that social determinants of health, defined as the conditions where people live, learn, work, and play; affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. By focusing on these social determinants, this legislation will address the root cause of gaps in care by establish a task force to coordinate federal efforts to address social determinants, provide funding for safe and quality housing for pregnant people, extending Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) eligibility periods for new moms, and invest in funding research that will explore environmental risk, transportation barriers, and more.

The Kira Johnson Act (H.R.1212):

Introduced by Representative Alma Adams (D-NC-12), this legislation is named after Kira Johnson who, despite being in excellent health, died from a hemorrhage after delivering her son Langston. Unfortunately, Kira’s story is not unique in the United States. In order to combat the complex causes of maternal mortality and promote accountability, this legislation invests in community-based organizations that are leading the charge to support outcomes for Black pregnant and postpartum people and women of color. It provides support for bias and anti-racism training programs as well as establishes the Respectful Maternity Care Compliance Programs within hospitals so families can report instances of racial or other types of bias.

Protecting Moms Who Served Act (H.R.958):

Introduced by Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), this legislation seeks to uncover the reality for the more than two million women veterans in the United States and their maternal health outcomes. As so little is known about maternal health among veterans, this legislation will commission the first-ever study on the maternal health crises among veterans; with a specific focus on racial and ethnic disparities and identifying potential mental and behavioral risks. Following the study, recommendations will be made to healthcare providers. The legislation will  also provide funding towards ensuring coordination takes place between Veterans Affairs and non-Veterans Affairs facilities, facilitate access to community resources, and offer childcare and parenting classes to veterans.

Perinatal Workforce Act:

Introduced by Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI-4) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), this legislation addresses the lack of access to maternity care found in both rural and urban communities. More than 1/3 of counties in the United State are considered ‘maternity care deserts meaning that more than 7 million birthing people live where there is no or limited access to maternity care. Specifically, this legislation establishes grant programs to increase access to maternity care providers, provides guidance to states on diverse maternal care, will allow programs to increase number of nurses and other health care workers, and fund studies on barriers that prevent women from entering maternity care professions.

Data to Save Moms Act (H.R.952/S.347):

Introduced by Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS-3) and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), this legislation builds off the 2018 Preventing Maternal Deaths law by promoting greater levels of representative community engagement in Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs). MMRCS gather key stakeholders together to listen to the experiences of pregnant people and how these stories can inform health quality measures that promote safe, culturally competent, patient-centered maternity care. Also, this legislation invests in improving data collection and maternal health research at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs.) Finally, this legislation will establish the first-ever comprehensive study to understand the scope of the Native American maternal health crisis, who are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts.

Moms Matter Act (H.R.909/S.484):

Introduced by Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Representative John Katko (R-NY-24), this bipartisan legislation addresses the unique challenge maternal mental health conditions as “mental health conditions are one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths.” This crises is disproportionately felt by Black birthing people who are at increased risk for suicidal ideation and intentional self-harm during pregnancy and postpartum. This legislation will make investments in programs that support moms with maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders, create initiatives that address stigma, and invest in suicide prevention programs. Also, it will provide funding to grow and diversity the maternal mental health care workforce in order to create culturally-competent care for pregnant and postpartum people with maternal mental health conditions.

Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act (H.R.948/S.341):

Introduced by Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), this legislation addresses the maternal health crises of pregnant people who are incarcerated, as they face a heighted risk for maternal mortality. The consequences of the United States addiction to mass incarceration from 190 to 2016 has resulted in the number of women in prison increasing nearly 742%, of those who are incarcerated it is Black women who are imprisoned at twice the rate of white women. This legislation will seek to end the immoral practice of shackling pregnant people, provide funds for reentry assistance programs, funds for diversionary programs to prevent incarceration of pregnant and postpartum people, and study the negative implications of Medicaid coverage termination for incarcerated mothers.

Tech to Save Moms Act (H.R.937):

Introduced by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-32) and Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), this legislation recognizes that digital tools, such as telehealth services, can play an important and unique role in addressing maternal health in underserved areas. Specifically, this legislation will promote integration and development of telehealth, provide grants to ensure high-speed, reliable internet access; promote digital tools designed to address racial and ethnic disparities, and study the use of new technology in preventing racial and ethnic bias.

IMPACT to Save Moms Act (H.R.950/S.334):

Introduced by Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), this legislation recognizes that maternal care payment options affect maternal health outcomes. The legislation will establish a new Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that promotes equitable and quality maternal health outcomes for pregnant people covered by Medicaid. It also develops strategies to ensure continuity of health insurance coverage for pregnant and postpartum people, including presumptive eligibility for Medicaid/CHIP programs, automatic reenrollment in Medicaid/CHIP for birthing people, and prevents any disruptions on coverage during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and up to one year postpartum.

Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act:

Introduced by Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), this legislation recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemics has worsened the already existing and immoral maternal mortality crisis in the United States. Pregnant people are at a significant risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes and Black women experienced a disproportionate number of deaths. This legislation makes targeted investments to advance safe maternal health outcomes during COVID-19 and beyond. It will require COVID-19 data collection be disaggregated by pregnancy status, ensure vaccines are safe for pregnant people, and establish a take force for creating safe birthing experiences during COVID-19 and potential future disease outbreaks.

Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act (H.R.957/S.423):

Introduced by Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), this legislation recognizes the reality of climate change exacerbating risks for pregnant people. As climate change results in greater air pollution and heat exposure, pregnant people and their infants are at risk and the legacy of environmental racism leaves Black mothers particularly at risk. This legislation will establish research opportunities on the relationship between climate change and pregnancy, design programs to identify climate change risk zones for pregnant people and their babies, provide health professional training on how to mitigate the risk of climate-change related risks, and provide funding to improve infrastructure.

Maternal Vaccination Act (H.R.951/S.345):

Introduced by Representative Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-07) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), this legislation will provide funding for programs to increase maternal vaccinations rates and develop maternal vaccinations campaigns with community-based partner organizations and trusted leaders.

The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 is a necessary and comprehensive collection of 12 bills that must be passed into law in order to address the immoral legacy of the United State maternal mortality crisis. NETWORK Lobby urges members of Congress to quickly pass the Momnibus, in its entirety, in order to honor the essential dignity of each human person.

Learn more about each of the bills included in the Momnibus Act here.

NETWORK Urges Congress to Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act

NETWORK Urges Congress to Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act

Gina Kelley
April 14, 2021

Ahead of the expected House vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) NETWORK sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives urging them to support this legislation as it eliminates loopholes in existing legislation, helps break harmful patterns of pay discrimination, and strengthens workplace protections for women.

Our faith teaches us that just and equal pay is necessary to recognize the dignity of work. Almost six decades after the landmark Equal Pay Act was signed into law, the gender and racial pay gap persists and this legislation takes a necessary and immediate step towards ending this immoral reality. Women, especially women of color, have been carrying a devastating burden for decades. Equal pay cannot be up for debate. Women have been economically exploited and treated as second-class citizens since the inception of this country. Widespread wage discrimination continues that legacy today. The Paycheck Fairness Act takes a necessary step towards ending systemic wage theft and discriminatory practices against women.

The choice could not be clearer. Now is the time to support women. NETWORK advocates strongly urge Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act because of the victories it achieves for working women across the country.

Read Our Vote Recommendation Letter on the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R.7)

Senate Hearing Examines Legacy of Racial Discrimination in Housing

Senate Hearing Examines Legacy of Racial Discrimination in Housing

April 12, 2021

Ahead of tomorrow’s hearing “Separate and Unequal: The Legacy of Racial Discrimination in Housing,” NETWORK Lobby expresses its gratitude to Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for holding this important hearing on the intersection of systemic racism and housing. Having access to safe, stable, affordable housing improves physical and mental health, and honors the dignity of every person. Despite this sacred truth, racism in our housing system has barred Black and brown individuals and families from securing quality housing at an affordable cost for centuries.

We must name and dismantle racism in our society and our economy in order to advance the common good. Tomorrow’s hearing plays an important role in that. As we move forward together, it is critical that President Biden’s infrastructure plan affirms that housing is a human right and seeks to ensure that every person and family in the United States is housed. As Pope Francis said in 2015, “We can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing.”

At NETWORK, we are working to realize our vision of a just and inclusive society where all can thrive, including especially those who are most often left out: women, people of color, people on the economic margins, and those at the intersections of these identities. We look forward to continuing to work with Senator Sherrod Brown and other Senators to build our nation anew through our federal policies.

Separate and Unequal: The Legacy of Racial Discrimination in Housing
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

DATE: Tuesday, April 13, 2021
TIME: 10:00 AM

Watch the Hearing here: https://www.banking.senate.gov/hearings/separate-and-unequal-the-legacy-of-racial-discrimination-in-housing

Immigration: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

Immigration: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

Audrey Carroll
April 8, 2021

On March 17, NETWORK Government Relations Director Ronnate Asirwatham presented a webinar to NETWORK members on the current status of immigration legislation in Congress, as well as highlighting current Administrative wins and ongoing issues at the Southern border.

Currently, NETWORK is tracking six immigration bills that have been introduced in the 117th Congress. The immigration bills are: the U.S. Citizenship Act, Citizenship for Essential Workers, the Dream and Promise Act, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, the DREAM Act, and the SECURE Act. Each bill includes a path to citizenship for our currently undocumented community and family members, including DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients and TPS (Temporary Protected Status), and DED (Deferred Enforced Departure) holders. This pathway to permanent residence and citizenship is critical for “security and dignity,” according to Ronnate. Here is the breakdown of with the legislative process for these bills:

-U.S. Citizenship Act: Could provide a pathway to citizenship for up to 11 million individuals.
-Citizenship for Essential Workers: Could provide a pathway to citizenship for up to 5.2 million individuals.
-Dreamers and TPS legislation: Could provide a pathway to citizenship for up to 4 million individuals.
-Farm Workforce Modernization Act: Could provide a pathway to citizenship for up to 1 million undocumented farmworkers.

Bill number Bill Name Creates a pathway to citizenship for: Legislative Goal Progress
H.R.6 Dream and Promise Act 4 million DACA recipients, TPS and DED holders Pass the House, conferenced with 2 Senate bills, the DREAM Act (S.264) and the SECURE Act (S.306) and signed into law Passed the House in a 228-197 vote on March 18
H.R.1603 Farm Workforce Modernization Act 1 million undocumented farmworkers Pass the House and the Senate and signed into law by the President Passed the House in a 247-174 vote on March 18
S.264 DREAM Act Current, former, and  future undocumented high school graduates Pass the Senate, conference with the Dream and Promise Act in the House and sign into law Introduced in the Senate on Feb. 4, 2021 by Senators Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham
S.306 SECURE Act Approximately 400,000 TPS holders Pass the Senate, conference with the Dream and Promise Act in the House and sign into law Introduced in the Senate on Feb. 8 by Senator Van Hollen
S.747 Citizenship for Essential Workers 5.2 million undocumented essential workers Needs to pass the House and the Senate – may end up being added to a larger piece of legislation Introduced in the Senate by Senators Padilla and Warren; Introduced in the House by Reps. Castro and Lieu
H.R. 1177/S.348 U.S. Citizenship Act 11 million currently undocumented individuals Needs to pass the House and the Senate Introduced in the House on Feb. 18 by Rep. Sanchez and in the Senate by Sen. Menendez

More hearings and votes for these critical pieces of immigration legislation are expected to take place in April and May. The Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act have already passed in the House of Representatives and await a vote in the Senate. Hearings for the DREAM Act in the Senate and the U.S. Citizenship Act in the House and Senate are expected in April/May.

Three months into the Biden-Harris administration, there have already been some wins for Americans in terms of immigration. Venezuelans are now able to secure TPS, the harmful Public Charge Rule remains blocked, information sharing between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Health and Human Services has been stopped, and people in MPP are now being processed. These actions reverse years of racist and xenophobic policies against immigrants and are an important step towards passing immigration legislation centered on human dignity.

Despite recent rhetoric describing the situation at the Southern border as a sudden “crisis,” Ronnate Asirwatham debunked this by describing border issues as a slow, ongoing issue. The most pressing concerns are unaccompanied children, lack of shelter, and family reunification. The Title 42 Order is also a large concern, as it blocks people from exercising their right to seek asylum, disproportionately affecting Black immigrants and migrants.

Going forward, NETWORK urges its members to ask their Members of Congress to support these immigration policies in Congress that center human dignity and provide a pathway to citizenship for our undocumented siblings.

Pressure also must be placed on the Biden administration to rescind the racist Title 42 order. Title 42 was instituted by the Trump administration and used the COVID-19 crisis to turn away all immigrants and asylum seekers at the border. Much of the current rhetoric against immigration legislation is xenophobic, and this impacts the passage of bills. Despite this, We the People know that immigrants are an important part of our communities, and the majority of voters support a pathway to citizenship for our undocumented neighbors.

In order to dismantle the racism and white supremacy in our immigration system and Build Anew, Congress must enact these policies to reunite families, provide real opportunities for undocumented immigrants to apply for citizenship, welcome asylum seekers, and grow compassion in our communities.

Senate must pass PRO Act for Workplace Justice and Equity

Senate must pass PRO Act for Workplace Justice and Equity

Audrey Carroll
March 24, 2021

The House of Representatives recently passed the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act in a 225-206 vote. The PRO Act achieves one of the labor movement’s leading priorities by protecting the right of workers to organize. With the current labor system structured to favor big businesses and corporations over worker-led unions, the PRO Act levels the playing field by making union organizing less difficult. Catholic Social Justice teaches us that we must invest in the value of human labor, which helps maintain the fabric of our society. The PRO Act honors the ability of work to achieve growth and personal development by restoring workers’ rights to collectively bargain so they may advocate for higher wages, better benefits, and protections from discrimination. Congress must pass the PRO Act and update labor laws to make advances towards just and equitable workplaces. 

According to a 2020 report, 65% of Americans approve of labor unions, and roughly 48% of non-union workers would vote for a union if given an opportunity. Despite increasing support, less than 15% of workers were supported by a union in 2020. Current labor laws make it difficult for workers to unionize and employers have discovered ways to penalize workers for organizing. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) was passed by Congress in 1935, however every amendment to the law has made it harder for working people to form unions. 

The PRO Act will amend the NLRA and related labor laws to extend vital protections to workers. The bill includes provisions such as: allowing injunctions against employers engaging in unfair labor practices, permitting workers to participate in collective litigation, ending the misclassification of employees, prohibiting the replacement and discrimination of workers who participate in strikes, expanding penalties for labor law violations, and more. 

President Biden has shown strong support for the PRO Act and is a close ally of the labor movement. In a March 9 statement, Biden acknowledged the various ways employers prevent workers from organizing through “anti-union attacks.” President Biden also displayed support of Amazon workers’ ongoing union drive in Alabama, citing unions as “vitally important” to addressing racial and economic disparities in the U.S. 

The PRO Act is needed to expand the protections once offered by the NLRA. It is a historic proposal that restores the dignity of workers and reinforces and praises their value. The Senate must follow the example set by the House of Representatives and pass the PRO Act. 

The Racist Filibuster Must Go for Us to Build Anew

The Racist Filibuster Must Go for Us to Build Anew

Sister Simone Campbell
March 25, 2021

The Senate filibuster — currently 60-vote threshold to close debate on a bill and move to a vote — is a relic of the Jim Crow-era that has blocked democracy reform, civil rights protections, and health care expansion for far too long. Since its inception in 1806, the filibuster has been weaponized against people of color to block bipartisan legislation that addresses structural racism and inequality in the United States. Catholic Sisters and NETWORK advocates do not accept antiquated traditions steeped in a racist past to prevent progress and will mobilize across the country to end the racist filibuster.

Constitutionally, bills require a simple majority to pass — just 51 votes in the Senate.  However, the filibuster is a procedural tool which allows senators to block legislation from receiving a vote at all if there are 41 of them that oppose the bill. For centuries, elected officials in the minority have used the filibuster to stop common good, anti-racist legislation from passing and becoming law. In the 19th Century, white Southern Senators used the filibuster to kill Reconstruction and the earliest civil rights bills in order to maintain white supremacy. In the 20th Century, anti-lynching legislation which was widely popular among Congress and the United States people was consistently blocked by a small minority in the Senate. The use of the anti-democratic filibuster as a tool of white supremacy had direct consequences: racist lynching mobs killed an estimated 4,400 Black Americans throughout our nation’s history. To this day, Congress has failed to pass federal anti-lynching legislation. In the Civil Rights Era, Senators employed the filibuster to prevent desegregation and voting rights legislation from becoming law.

The racist application of the filibuster is a clear legacy of the rule, and it continues today. Senators are exploiting the power of the filibuster to block critical legislation meant to dismantle systemic racism and known injustices in the 117th Congress.  The For the People Act, the Justice in Policing Act, the Equality Act, the PRO Act, are all bills that deserve a vote and stand a real chance of passing but for the filibuster rule.  The filibuster is not protecting voters in the minority party; it protects politicians set on preserving the status quo. We cannot allow an arbitrary Senate rule with no grounding in the Constitution to block legislation that enjoys widespread bipartisan support by voters across the country.

The Senate has a moral duty to use this opportunity to end the filibuster.

Add your name to join the Catholic Sisters and activists of NETWORK calling for the elimination of the Senate filibuster.

NETWORK Supports the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

NETWORK Supports the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Caraline Feairheller
March 18, 2021

In February, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers officially re-introduced The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act into the 117th Congress. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) was first introduced in 2012 and has been re-introduced in the House in almost every legislative session. NETWORK has previously supported the legislation, but Senator Mitch McConnell’s Senate failed to do their moral duty to protect mothers by not taking up the legislation. Once again, we are proud to support the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act because it modernizes current law and closes the gaps in protections afforded to pregnant workers. This legislation would open doors for gainfully employed women who choose to bring new life into the world.

Despite current protections for pregnant workers from workplace discrimination included in the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (PDA), 2 out of 3 women who fight to get pregnancy accommodation lose their case in court. Pregnant workers should not have to choose between their income or their family’s health. However, the failure of current legislation has forced many women to choose and this moral failure is only exacerbated by the global pandemic and accompanying economic recession.

The time is long overdue for pregnant workers to get reasonable accommodations, such as extra bathroom breaks, limited contact with certain chemicals, and a reduction in lifting requirements. Catholic Social Teaching clearly states that, “human work has a special dignity and is a key to achieving justice in society.” Now is the time for Congress to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and recognize the dignity of labor.

Read Our Letter in Support of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act