Statement from PL+US on the Capitol Riots

Statement from PL+US on the Capitol Riots
January 7, 2021

“Yesterday, the President of the United States and his white vigilante supporters launched a violent assault on the Capitol that further exposed long-standing systems of bigotry, hate, and racism in our country. This mob attack exacerbated deep wounds in our communities and threatened our democracy. The work of building the democracy we aspire to will require time and strong action by all of us. 

The simple fact is that our country is not safe until Donald Trump is out of office. It is imperative that leaders in both parties take swift action to immediately remove Donald Trump, whether via the 25th amendment or impeachment, to keep our country, our families, and our democratic institutions safe.”

Statement from PL+US Legislative Director Corinne Roller on Covid-19 relief package

“The emergency Covid-19 relief package is a bipartisan step forward for those in Washington, but it notably misses the mark in providing the support working people and businesses need during the nation's greatest public health crisis. At the darkest hour of the pandemic, Congress voted to eliminate emergency paid leave, one of our best tools to slow the spread of the virus, and a critical tool for supporting businesses and employees alike. Eliminating emergency paid leave for all working people and instead providing tax credits to employers who opt in doesn't go far enough. Working people shouldn’t be forced to choose between the health and safety of themselves and their families and their economic security. During this crisis, we have been shown time and again that the health of entire communities is connected, especially for communities of color, who make up 1 in 6 frontline workers. The inability of working people to take paid sick or family and medical leave will exacerbate the crisis by putting us all at risk and leaving working people in a lurch at the most urgent time. We look forward to working with Congress and the new Administration to reintroduce the emergency paid leave we know is so critical at this time.” Corinne Roller, Legislative Director, PL+US

Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US) Commends High-Quality Paid Leave Recommendations in Biden Jobs Plan, Biden-Sanders Unity Platform

This week, the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force released formal recommendations for the Democratic Party Platform, which included prioritizing high quality paid family and medical leave to support working families. This spring, Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US) Founder and Executive Director Katie Bethell advised the task force on the key elements of a high-quality paid leave policy for working families. PL+US supports a paid leave policy that provides time away from work to welcome a new child, care for a family member, or deal with a medical crisis along with job protections and sufficient wage replacement.

Full Statement Here