A group of progressive organizations is urging Michigan representatives not to pass the U.S. infrastructure bill without first approving the full Build Back Better Act.
The Build Back Better Act is part of President Joe Biden’s agenda to address issues like income security, childcare, climate change, and education.
At a virtual town hall Thursday, a coalition of progressive organizers expressed their concerns over the potential for the U.S. infrastructure bill passing without including those pieces of the framework.
Yvonne Navarrete, an organizer with We The People Action Fund, is demanding that Michigan lawmakers push for the act.
“I'm here as an undocumented Michigander letting you know that Michiganders all across the state want our families to grow up healthy and thrive for generations to come. The build back better act is a critical part of that," she said.
The Build Back Better framework pushes for a reduction in backlogs in the immigration asylum process.
In previous iteration of the act, Biden included a plan to guarantee 12 weeks of paid parental and sick leave for those caring for a new child or a sick family member.
Aisha Wells, the family leave organizer at Mothering Justice, also spoke during the town hall and says she would like to see parental leave added back to the proposal.
“Without having paid leave you are spitting in the faces of those who care for our children in schools, who who fed us, who kept us healthy during this global pandemic," she added.
Juan Jhong-Chung, an environmental justice organizer with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, says the plan has the potential to address the ways climate change is impacting marginalized communities in Michigan.
"Our communities deserve clean air and clean water, access to wind and solar energy, widespread public transportation, sustainable and affordable housing," they said. "We need bold investments in climate resilient infrastructure and Congress has a historic opportunity to meaningfully improve the lives of millions of people in Michigan and around the country with the Build Back Better Act."
Thursday was the informal deadline set by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to vote on the infrastructure bill.
