We Demand More Coalition Calls House Passage of Build Back Better Act Historic Investment in America’s Future
WASHINGTON, DC — Moments ago, the House of Representatives passed President Biden’s Build Back Better Act, a major step for Congress toward implementing the bill into law.
In response, 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, issued the following statement:
“Today’s House of Representatives vote on the Build Back Better Act brings us one step closer to historic investments in our country that will benefit all our families.
“In particular, the Build Back Better Act’s investments in care work, paid leave, and health care will help millions of women, especially Black women and women of color who do the majority of our nation’s paid and unpaid work. Support for the care economy – from federal paid family and medical leave to affordable childcare – will ensure that people can work and take care of themselves or loved ones without sacrificing their means to survive.
“Voters across the country and the political mainstream support the long overdue investments in women and our care economy that form the backbone of the Build Back Better package. We demanded comprehensive paid leave, investments in childcare, an expanded child tax credit and funding for making health care more affordable – and Democrats in the House are delivering.
“Each and every program and investment for women, caregivers, and families in this bill is essential and builds on top of each other to provide the support our families need to thrive. Investments in care, health care, and paid leave will yield millions of jobs, billions in wages, and trillions in GDP, and are some of the most widely supported policies in the country.
This bill delivers on President Biden’s vision and the Senate must act swiftly to deliver the same robust, inclusive, and transformational legislation without any cuts or compromises. Our caregivers and families deserve nothing less.
We celebrate this victory for working families and we look forward to working with the President and with our leaders in the Senate to pass the bill and get the overdue relief it provides to our communities.”
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:
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
