Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Announces $270 Million Grant to BART from the American Rescue Plan

“Like other agencies, BART has been hit hard during the pandemic, and these funds will go a long way to protect the BART workers who make the trains run and keep passengers secure,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA). “Thank you to President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg for this important investment in our community and thank you to Speaker Pelosi and our Democratic colleagues for passing the historic American Rescue Plan to help our country make it through this crisis and come out stronger.”

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2022

Oakland Post

A BART train arrives at the Pleasant Hill BART station in Walnut Creek, Calif. on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News Foundation)

By Alex Katz

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) announced on March 3 that Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) will receive more than $270 million from the American Rescue Plan to maintain operations, avoid layoffs, and more resources for cleaning and sanitation.

The grant for BART is part of an additional round of funding to help strengthen Bay Area transit systems until ridership returns to normal levels.

“These funds are critical to support essential services here in the East Bay,” Lee said. “Many in our community rely on BART to commute safely to work, to get their kids to school, and to stay connected during this difficult time.

“Like other agencies, BART has been hit hard during the pandemic, and these funds will go a long way to protect the BART workers who make the trains run and keep passengers secure,” Lee said. “Thank you to President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg for this important investment in our community and thank you to Speaker Pelosi and our Democratic colleagues for passing the historic American Rescue Plan to help our country make it through this crisis and come out stronger.”

Overall, five key Bay Area transit agencies including BART, Muni, and Caltrain will receive $525 million, bringing the total American Rescue Plan transit funding delivered to the Bay Area to more than $2.3 billion.

Congresswoman Lee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and other members advocated with the U.S. Department of Transportation to make this investment in Bay Area agencies. Distributed by the Federal Transit Administration, these funds are drawn from $2.2 billion in American Rescue Plan FTA Additional Assistance grants supplementing previous transit assistance for communities across the country.

These new investments will fund operation costs, strengthen sanitation efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 on public transit and help avoid layoffs and furloughs.

Alex Katz is a media director in the office of Congresswomen Barbara Lee.

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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.”