We Demand More Coalition on the Build Back Better Budget Framework, Says Package is Historic But Falls Short of Full Recovery for Women
Statement from Sonja Spoo and Angela Cobián, co-directors of the We Demand More coalition, a collection of organizations fighting for women, in particular Black, Indigenous, Latina and other women of color, on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis:
“We applaud the transformative investments in our children, families, and childcare workforce, the expansion of affordable healthcare for all and massive funding support for immigration reform. The investments outlined will have a significant impact on tens of millions of women, caregivers, and families around the country and represent a promise kept by the President to center care in his agenda. This is a critical investment toward building an economy that truly works for women, caregivers, and families, and we are grateful to our elected leaders for fighting for these historic investments.
While we celebrate the massive investments in childcare and affordable healthcare that recognize some of this economic and social reality, the lack of paid family and medical leave is unconscionable.
Without paid leave, this proposed budget framework fails to recognize and address the full needs of families, our society, and our future that rely on women and caregivers. Women and caregivers need the ability to take care of our families or ourselves. It is cruel to deny us the ability to do that while making ends meet. Black women, women of color, immigrant women, and Indigenous women will be most hurt by excluding paid leave.
“We cannot Build Back Better without centering the people who act as caregivers, fuel our economy, and have been disproportionately impacted by the crises that the pandemic exposed and exacerbated. We will continue to demand more and ensure that the historic investments already in this package are strengthened by the inclusion of a robust paid leave program.
“We look forward to working toward the passage of Build Back Back Better with the bipartisan infrastructure deal and celebrating this massive investment in our communities and families.
About We Demand More
Formed in 2020, We Demand More is a coalition of organizations using our collective power to fight for the courageous women workers and caretakers, especially women of color, who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis and who are particularly impacted. Their lives, livelihoods, and families depend on lawmakers and business leaders doing more — and we need everyone to demand more. We’ve formed the We Demand More coalition to fight for four demands from Congress and corporate leaders:
- Prioritize our health and safety ahead of corporations.
- Get life-sustaining relief to us NOW.
- Make state governments strong; they are our lifeline.
- Stop the attacks on our reproductive health care, including abortion access.
More information on the We Demand More coalition can be found on its website at www.WeDemandMore.org and its letter to Congress can be found here. Below is a full list of the We Demand More coalition’s members:
- Abortion Access Force
- Advocates for Youth
- All Women's Progress
- All* Above All Action Fund
- African American Ministers In Action
- American Association of University Women Action Fund
- Birth In Color RVA
- Black Women's Roundtable
- California National Organization for Women
- Catholics for Choice
- Center for American Progress Fund
- Chicago Foundation for Women
- Clearinghouse on Women's Issues
- Coalition of Labor Union Women
- Daily Kos
- DemCast USA
- End Rape on Campus
- Equal Pay Today
- Equal Rights Advocates
- Feminist Majority
- Feminist Women's Health Center
- Free Speech For People
- Global Justice Center
- The Greenlining Institute
- Hollaback!
- Hopewell Fund
- League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
- Mass NOW
- Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable
- MomsRising Together
- NARAL Pro-Choice America
- NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland
- National Birth Equity Collaborative
- National Black Justice Coalition
- National Organization for Women
- National Organization for Women - Connecticut chapter
- National Women's Health Network
- National Women’s Law Center
- New American Leaders Action Fund
- New Century Trust
- New Voices for Reproductive Justice
- Paid Leave for All Action
- PathWays PA
- Period Equity
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund
- Public Citizen
- Resilience
- ServeUSA
- Sisters Lead Sisters Vote
- SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
- Supermajority
- Ultraviolet
- United State of Women
- URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
- #VOTEPROCHOICE
- Voto Latino
- Women Employed
- Women's Fund of Rhode Island
- Women’s March
