Congress must respond to call for change by Poor People’s Campaign
The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, joined by dozens of partners, more than 40 state coordinating committees and thousands of faith leaders, held a Season of Nonviolent Moral Direct Action to Save Our Democracy from July 12 to Aug. 8.
During that time, five members of the Ohio Poor People’s Campaign were arrested in Washington, D.C.
The reason we were arrested was simple: Wealthy elites with a vested interest in clinging to minority rule are actively undermining American democracy.
The surge of voter participation in 2018 and 2020 – including by poor and low-wage voters – created majorities in the House and Senate.
These majorities were built on policies that enjoy overwhelming popular support: federal protection of voting rights, a $15 minimum wage, universal access to health care, comprehensive immigration reform and investment in sustainable infrastructure.
But none of these policies has been enacted because an extremist minority in the Senate is using the non-constitutional filibuster to block these popular mandates to establish justice and provide for the general welfare.
Our demands of Congress include:
• Restoration of the full Voting Rights Act. • Passage of the For the People’s Act.
• An end to the filibuster.
• An increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
• Fair and respectful treatment of the nation’s 11 million immigrants.
Brian Mallory of Cleveland represented workers calling for a $15 minimum wage.
“The federal program that employs me pays $8.55 per hour and caps my hours at 20 per week, he said. “Yet these wages are exempt from counting toward federal benefits such as SNAP and Medicaid.”
Mennonite Chaplain Clair Hochstetler of Cincinnati said, “Without our nonviolent direct action, our message would not have been nearly as powerful nor sustained. Our message to all 100 senators could not be ignored. I can now hold my head high and look my children and grandchildren in the eye and say that I did everything in my power to raise the volume and urgency of the call for justice, equity and moral revival that is critical for our nation’s future.”
Climate activist Cathy Cowan Becker of Columbus said, “The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change makes it clear we must immediately end dependence on fossil fuels and move to a clean energy economy. The climate crisis hurts the poor and people of color the most, but climate action will help address longstanding inequities through energy efficiency, public transit and lower pollution. Yet these popular programs are held up by the filibuster. Congress must act now to ensure a livable planet.”
Our arrests, along with hundreds of others in Washington, were the culmination of a Season of Nonviolent Moral Direct Action to Save our Democracy.
On July 26, actions were held at senate offices
across the country. In Ohio, Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office agreed to all five demands, while Sen. Rob Portman’s office declined to support any of the demands.
Through this Season of Nonviolent Moral Direct Action, we will continue to escalate public pressure for change.
We invite partners and all people who believe in justice and democracy to join us in this critical moment in history to save the soul and the body of this nation. We have no choice but to go forward together, not one step back.
Cathy Cowan Becker of Columbus is executive director of Simply Living, chair of Ready for 100 Ohio, and longtime climate activist; Mary Aguilera of Cincinnati is statewide organizer for Buckeye Environmental Network, tri-chair of Ohio Poor People’s Campaign and environmental and social justice chair for Sierra Club Ohio; Clair Hochstetler of Cincinnati is an ordained Mennonite hospice chaplain and member of the Ohio Poor People’s Campaign Spiritual Council; Mary Laymon of Cincinnati is an ordained Lutheran pastor, priest-in-charge at St. Simon of Cyrene Episcopal Church and executive director of Tikkun Farm; Brian Mallory of Cleveland is community organizer for Organize Ohio and tri-chair of Ohio Poor People’s Campaign.