Washington (February 5, 2021) – As the Biden administration begins to take immediate action to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic depression, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today reintroduced the Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy (THRIVE) Agenda. The resolution outlines a framework for a bold economic renewal plan that addresses the four current ongoing and intersecting crises: the public health disaster, racial injustice, the climate crisis, and economic inequity. The THRIVE agenda is built on eight pillars, which span from creating millions of good, safe jobs with access to unions to averting climate catastrophe, all while investing in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.

 

“The compounding crises that are affecting our country today—mounting economic inequity, the climate crisis, racial injustice, and the coronavirus pandemic—all require a bold, intersectional, and immediate response from the federal government. New leadership in the White House, driven by justice and science, is giving us the opportunity to recover from the past administration's negligence and truly allow our communities to thrive," said Senator Markey. “The THRIVE Agenda would not only correct the wrongs of the Trump administration, but serve as a guidebook for how we can rebuild our economy and our democracy to fix what is broken and make it work for every person in our country.”

 

“A nation facing unprecedented crises must respond with intentional, intersectional policies that can combat climate change, end the COVID-19 pandemic, empower working families, and address racial and economic inequities,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “The THRIVE Agenda will guide us as we mobilize on a transformative mission to bring justice and healing to our communities. With a broad coalition of colleagues, advocates, and activists, we will save our environment and achieve the racial and economic equity that our nation demands.”

 

An economic analysis from the University of Massachusetts Amherst finds that a bold economic renewal plan, as outlined in the THRIVE Agenda, would create nearly 16 million new jobs. These new jobs would offer safe workplaces, family-sustaining wages and benefits, and access to unions. These workers would be part of a national agenda to deploy clean and affordable public transit, replace lead pipes for clean water, expand wind and solar power, care for our children and the elderly, retrofit buildings to cut costs and pollution, expand manufacturing of clean technologies, restore our wetlands and forests, and grow food sustainably on family farms.

 

The THRIVE Agenda is supported by more than 200 national and local organizations, including the American Federation of Teachers, Center for American Progress, Church World Service, Climate Justice Alliance, Color of Change, Communications Workers of America, Green New Deal Network, Indigenous Environmental Network, League of Conservation Voters, Movement for Black Lives, People’s Action, Service Employees International Union, Sierra Club, Sunrise Movement, United We Dream.

 

A copy of the THRIVE Agenda resolution can be found HERE.

 

Original co-sponsors of the resolution in the Senate include Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeffrey Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

Original co-sponsors of the House resolution include Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Raul Grijalva (D-NM), Donald McEachin (D-VA), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).