Rev. Barber requires “Third Reconstruction” to raise a hundred and forty Million Out of Poverty

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Reverend William Barber, co-chair of the bad americans’s campaign and president of Repairers of the Breach, says the U.S. needs a “Third Reconstruction” aimed at lifting one hundred forty million bad and low-salary individuals out of poverty. Barber worked with Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Pramila Jayapal to unveil a congressional decision for a third Reconstruction this week, which contains measures to expand vote casting rights, implement immigration reform, raise the minimum wage, set up a federal jobs software and greater. “There isn't an absence of materials,” says Barber. “What there's is an absence of social justice conscience.”

this is a rush transcript. copy may additionally not be in its last form.

AMY GOODMAN: neatly, Reverend Barber, you go back and forth quick. the day past, you have been with Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Pramila Jayapal, amongst others, unveiling a congressional decision for a “Third Reconstruction.” here is Congressmember Barbara Lee talking Wednesday on the condo floor.

REP. BARBARA LEE: we can recognise a 3rd Reconstruction to completely tackle poverty and low wages from the bottom up, from housing to healthcare, water, education and extra. We need a third Reconstruction to revive our ethical and political commitments to democracy and the founding concepts of this nation. That’s why Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and that i have labored with extraordinary leaders, similar to Bishop William Barber and Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chairs of the terrible people’s crusade, in a countrywide call for moral Revival.

SPEAKER seasoned TEMPORE: Your time has expired.

REP. BARBARA LEE: thank you. i urge my colleagues to co-sponsor our resolution, and that i wish to thank the millions of americans whose voices we've heard.

AMY GOODMAN: That changed into Congressmember Lee speaking on the condominium flooring Wednesday. Thursday, she was with you backyard the Capitol with Pramila Jayapal and others. speak concerning the Third Reconstruction and what this decision is.

REV. WILLIAM BARBER II: smartly, Amy, you be aware of, final yr you helped us after we had the Mass poor people’s meeting and moral March on Washington, a digital affair, and over 2.7 million people showed up. And we laid out an agenda that talked about we are able to not ignore the one hundred forty million bad and low-wealth people during this nation â€" this turned into before the pandemic â€" and that we needed to tackle concurrently systemic racism, systemic poverty, ecological devastation, denial of healthcare, the warfare economy, militarization of our communities, and the false ethical narrative of non secular nationalism and white evangelicalism, and that the cost turned into too high. The fee of inequality, as Joseph Stiglitz had spoke of, is simply too excessive.

smartly, we have now put in a decision to assert to the nation, “We’ve heard some talk about newborn poverty. We’ve heard some talk about coping with low wages. What if we â€" the nation must have a unravel.” And this resolution lays out the difficulty and then lays out the resolve, the sort of public coverage we should flow if we’re going to fully tackle poverty. We guide this agenda. That’s why it’s referred to as a “Third Reconstruction: thoroughly Addressing Poverty … from the bottom Up.”

internal of this decision, the agenda says we have to change how we measure poverty, because we’re measuring it incorrect. right now we say in this nation â€" the executive does â€" that if you make $12,900 a year, you’re now not terrible. it is ridiculous. It doesn't make any feel. Sixty p.c of american citizens can’t even have enough money a thousand-greenback emergency presently in america. And we understand that 400 families make a regular of $97,000 an hour, whereas we make below â€" below $15. Most people are not making a living wage. And waitresses and people in eating places most effective make $2.13 an hour.

We have to have guaranteed residing wages, certain earnings, healthcare. We need an infrastructure plan, however’s bought to be big adequate, and it must be clear that it’s going to attain right down to the backside and the poorest communities first. So, it lays out this agenda of what we need to do to totally â€" now not simply a bit bit, not 10%, 20% here, or even 50%, however to entirely â€" address poverty. And this decision says, here’s the get to the bottom of we must know: There is not a lack of elements. Don’t tell us that. There isn't an absence of options. What there is is a lack of social justice sense of right and wrong. And we’re saying, with our circulation, that stops now.

In just a few weeks, in June, we’re going to have another digital gathering, a mass bad people and low-wage employees’ gathering. however we’re launching, Amy â€" I wish to announce it first right here on Democracy Now! We’re launching a 365-day mobilizing and organizing effort to a Mass poor americans, Low-Wage assembly and moral March on Washington, June 20, 2022, appropriate within the center of the mid-12 months elections, as a result of poor americans now make up 30% of the citizens â€" 65 million people. And we can't tiptoe round these considerations. The economic coverage Institute has spoke of we lose 1000000000000 bucks a yr from child poverty alone. And it’s now not only one little piece of coverage that we have to â€"

AMY GOODMAN: we've 10 seconds.

REV. WILLIAM BARBER II: We want full reconstruction of the society to deal with financial injustice, and it should happen now.

AMY GOODMAN: Reverend Dr. William Barber, we thanks for being with us, co-chair of the terrible people’s campaign, president of Repairers of the Breach, speaking to us from Elizabeth city, North Carolina, where calls for could be made within the case of the police killing of Andrew Brown.

That does it for our broadcast. chuffed Birthday to Tey-Marie Astudillo. Democracy Now! produced with Renée Feltz, Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Nermeen Shaikh, María Taracena. I’m Amy Goodman. Be secure.

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