United States SRES 693: A resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to implement an agenda to Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy ("THRIVE").

Bill Text

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116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION S. RES. 693
Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to implement an agenda
to Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy
(‘‘THRIVE’’).
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. SCHUMER, Ms. WARREN, Mrs.
GILLIBRAND, Mr. UDALL, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr.
WYDEN, Mr. MERKLEY, and Mr. HEINRICH) submitted the following res-
olution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to imple-
ment an agenda to Transform, Heal, and Renew by
Investing in a Vibrant Economy (‘‘THRIVE’’).
Whereas families and communities throughout the United
States share similar hopes and dreams of a good life that
is free from worry about meeting basic needs, with reli-
able and fulfilling work, a dignified and healthy standard
of living, and the ability to enjoy time with loved ones;
Whereas the United States faces the stress of multiple, over-
lapping crises—old and new—that prevent the achieve-
ment of these fundamental human rights and needs, in
which the COVID–19 pandemic has killed over 180,000
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United States residents; tens of millions of United States
workers remain unemployed; rising economic inequality
has made working families vulnerable; tens of millions of
individuals do not get the health care they need; and in-
tensifying climate change increases the threats to our
health, economy, and livelihoods;
Whereas these health, economic, and climate crises have mag-
nified centuries-old injustices, causing high rates of death
and hardship among Black, Brown, and Indigenous com-
munities due to long-standing systemic racism—a fact
spotlighted by an emerging, multiracial movement to end
violence against Black people;
Whereas these crises are causing the inequitable workloads of
women—particularly women of color—to grow, especially
as women of color overwhelmingly make up the essential
workforce, bearing the weight of the increased care needs
of children, the elderly, and the sick;
Whereas, even before the COVID–19 crisis, many rural com-
munities and independent family farmers suffered from
poverty, declining economic opportunity, and alarming
rates of farm bankruptcy, including loss of land from
Black farmers and the exploitation of Black, Brown, and
Indigenous farmers caused by predatory and racist pub-
lic, private, and governmental institutions and policies;
Whereas the root of our interlocking economic and environ-
mental crises is society’s historical willingness to treat
some communities and workers as disposable;
Whereas it is necessary to counteract systemic injustice and
value the dignity of all individuals in order to address un-
employment, pandemics, or climate change and ensure
the survival of the Nation and the planet;
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Whereas the choices made in response to these crises will
shape the United States direction for the 21st century
and beyond, offering an opportunity to reshape our soci-
ety to provide a good life for each of us and for our chil-
dren and grandchildren; and
Whereas the United States has the means to support ful-
filling livelihoods for millions of people—Black, Indige-
nous, Brown, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, White, im-
migrant, urban and rural, old and young, of many faiths,
genders, abilities, and talents—while working to heal
harms, protect communities, and invest in a future that
fosters justice, not crisis: Now therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 1
(1) it is the duty of the Federal Government to 2
respond to the crises of racial injustice, mass unem-3
ployment, a pandemic, and climate change with a 4
bold and holistic national mobilization, an Agenda to 5
Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vi-6
brant Economy (‘‘THRIVE’’) (referred to in this re-7
solving clause as the ‘‘Agenda’’), to build a society 8
that enables— 9
(A) greater racial, economic, and gender 10
justice; 11
(B) dignified work; 12
(C) healthy communities; and 13
(D) a stable climate; and 14
(2) such Agenda shall be assessed upon its abil-15
ity to uphold its foundational pillars, including— 16
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(A) creating millions of good, safe jobs 1
with access to unions by— 2
(i) investing in projects including— 3
(I) upgrading our broken infra-4
structure to expand access to clean 5
and affordable energy, transportation, 6
high-speed broadband, and water, par-7
ticularly for public systems; 8
(II) modernizing and ret