A little bit of gratitude goes a long way. Because of the hard work that you, the members of Local 3 along with the entire Labor Movement, put in toward electing people who want to improve this country, help all people, and strengthen the economy for working Americans and not just the rich or corporations, our country has progressed mightily over the last three months. First, I want to express my gratitude to you because the results are already clear. Second, I want to express my gratitude to those elected officials for stepping up for all American people. President Biden, Senate Democrats and especially Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker Pelosi and the House Democrats, they all stepped up. The Democrats won the presidency, retained the majority in the House, and the wins in Georgia flipped the U.S. Senate. They were given the ball and went to work immediately. Priority #1 is addressing the COVID crisis, with vaccines and economic relief for America. Priority #2 is to grow the economy. And priority #3 is to sustain that growth.
Politically and morally, the Democrats needed to deliver and they've delivered bigtime so far. In a short time, the Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan without any Republican support. Included in this bill is direct economic assistance for Americans including checks, extended unemployment insurance, COBRA relief, aid for renters and homeowners, and expanded tax credits and childcare aid for working people. There is relief and aid for small businesses plus a wide-scale vaccination program to get America moving again, which includes safely reopening schools. There is also over $360 billion in emergency funding for state and local governments, including $24 billion for New York because our Senators and Democratic Representatives fought hard for our state. They saved multi-employer private pensions for millions of union retirees, shoring up the entire system.
Next up is President Biden's infrastructure plan combining the "American Jobs Plan'' and the "American Family Plan". It is a mighty effort that President Biden is trying to get passed with bipartisan support. Senate Majority Leader Schumer is working with the Biden Administration to deliver for New York and the union Building Trades. This plan includes $600 billion in Davis-Bacon work across the country including $30 billion for the long-delayed Gateway tunnel project. Other work will include replacing neglected roads, bridges and transit systems, crumbling water and sewer pipes, plus new renewable energy infrastructure projects like electric vehicle charging stations, electric grid updates and increased broadband networks. The goal is to build, preserve, and retrofit over 2 million homes and buildings — all Davis-Bacon prevailing wage jobs. This bill will create good jobs for hard-pressed Americans both in construction and manufacturing, as we rebuild our country with American-made products. With or without the Republicans, this will get done. America needs 21st-century infrastructure to compete globally and President Biden will deliver it.
Don’t take it for granted. Make a call, send a text, and talk about it on social media. Thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and the elected officials in New York who are proving that they stand with working men and women and American families. Show some gratitude; it goes a long way.
