Barbara Lee

Chairwoman Barbara Lee Notes Anniversary of American Rescue Plan

In my district in California’s East Bay, the American Rescue Plan has been transformative, especially its expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Families in my district alone received 74,000 individual payments for a total of close to $160 million during the last half of 2021. For thousands of families in our community, this money meant the difference between having childcare or not, having healthy food on the table or not, having a secure place to live or not.

Published

2 years ago

March 21, 2022

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.

By Sean Ryan

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, issued the following statement on March 11 marking one year since the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law:

One year ago, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law following passage by Congress, catapulting a historic recovery that has led to one of the strongest periods of economic growth in a century.

Many Americans had been left to fend for themselves during one of the worst public health and economic crises in history. The ARP expanded access to vaccines and testing; provided economic relief that kept millions out of poverty; prevented a catastrophic wave of evictions and foreclosures; helped small businesses and schools stay afloat; and made critical investments in the expansion of health care coverage and reducing costs for millions.

In my district in California’s East Bay, the ARP has been transformative, especially its expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Families in my district alone received 74,000 individual payments for a total of close to $160 million during the last half of 2021. For thousands of families in our community, this money meant the difference between having childcare or not, having healthy food on the table or not, having a secure place to live or not.

Through my Covid Community Care Act, we also delivered vital funding to support community-based efforts to hire and mobilize community outreach workers, community health workers, social support specialists, and others to increase vaccine access for the hardest-hit and highest-risk communities through high-touch, on-the-ground outreach to educate and assist individuals in getting the information they need about vaccinations.

Looking back on its impact, we now have analyses showing that the ARP resulted in 4 million jobs and nearly doubled GDP growth — and without it, we would have neared a double-digit recession. Compared to previous economic recoveries, this past year’s has also been far more equitable in terms of progress against child poverty, food insecurity, and unemployment for low-income communities and communities of color.

With that said, we still have a long way to go on all of these issues. Too many still lack access to the health care they need to live a fulfilling life. Millions of Americans are struggling to put food on the table amid rising costs, from the ongoing housing crisis to the recent spike in gas prices to the ever-growing cost of childcare. And the pervasive racial and gender inequities laid bare by COVID are deeper than ever.

I urge Americans to look at what the American Rescue Plan did in just a single year as a testament to the transformative impact government can have when it prioritizes people. I thank President Biden and my Democratic colleagues in Congress for their steadfast leadership and look forward to continuing to work together to deliver for the American people.

Sean Ryan is a member of Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s media relations office.

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza 

On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

By California Black Media

“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.

“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.

The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.

Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.

“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.

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Rep. Barbara Lee, CBC Members, Raise Concerns Over Layoffs of Black Tech Workersi2s

In 2015, the CBC launched Tech 2020 to ensure that Black Americans would be better represented in the industry by 2020. However, Lee says those tech companies that pledged to be more inclusive are falling short of their promise.

Published

4 months ago

December 26, 2023

Oakland Post

Rep. Barbara Lee

By Post Staff

Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee and several other Congressional Black Caucus members have written a letter to Julie Su, the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, addressing the disproportionate layoffs of Black tech employees.

“We write to express our concerns with recent reports highlighting the impacts of widespread layoffs within the tech industry and its disproportionate impacts on the African American community and women,” the letter stated.

“Tech companies who previously agreed to address bias and discrimination and create greater opportunities in the workforce are now quietly defunding diversity pledges,” the letter continued.

Lee told the Grio, “We’ve been fighting for justice and for economic parity and security as part of the mission of the CBC,” she said, “and so when we established Tech 2020, it was about equity and inclusion.”

“Now with all the Supreme Court decisions and with all of the backsliding, especially by Republicans, it’s very important that we be very assertive in our fight for equity and justice within the private sector and public sector,” she said.

According to the letter, since the beginning of 2023, more than 240,000 tech workers have been laid off, more than 50% increase from 2022.

Lee found that minorities and women make up most of the tech layoffs that have occurred this year.

“If you don’t have African Americans developing content,” Lee said, “then we’re going to have Black people, Brown people [and] women disproportionately impacted.”

“This country is supposed to be a representative democracy where you include people, and you don’t discriminate against them,” she added. “When you see the disproportionate numbers of people being laid off, then that is a red flag that it could be discrimination occurring against these workers and employees.”

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Congresswoman Lee Releases Statement on Vandalism of Lake Merritt Menorah

Published

4 months ago

December 15, 2023

Oakland Post

Chabad of Oakland’s menorah at Lake Merritt on Dec. 10, before it was vandalized (right) and graffiti left where the menorah stood before it was pulled down. (Photos/Courtesy Chabad of Oakland)

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) released the following statement on the destruction of the large Menorah on display at Lake Merritt in Oakland:

“I’m deeply saddened and disheartened that the Lake Merritt Menorah was destroyed earlier this week. My heart and prayers go out to the Jewish community in Oakland, and I strongly condemn this vile act of antisemitism.”

“Oaklanders salvaged the menorah and gathered together (Wednesday evening) to celebrate its re-lighting, spreading love and support in the way only Oakland does. I’m proud of my constituents. We will not let hate win.”