Crow Joins Dingell, Markey to Introduce THRIVE Act to Foster Bold Economic Renewal

AURORA - Today, Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06) joined Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) to introduce comprehensive economic recovery legislation that would authorize at least $1 trillion per year until 2031, providing family-sustaining, union jobs for more than 15 million American workers.

The jobs, which range in industry from clean energy to care work to manufacturing, would help to drastically cut carbon pollution by 2030, while also advancing gender, environmental, Indigenous, economic, and racial justice, especially for Black and Indigenous individuals.

"Climate change is the defining challenge of our age and our future depends on how we rise to meet it," said Rep. Crow. "The THRIVE Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fight climate change and rebuild our economy while centering our efforts around racial, environmental, and economic justice. These efforts would create 15 million good-paying union jobs, with 163,000 jobs in Colorado in the first year alone. This is the sort of ambitious action we need to tackle the climate crisis."

"We're in a pivotal moment right now to switch gears from relief to recovery. This needs to be done through intentional, intersectional policies that make the economy work for everyone," said Rep. Dingell."By advancing good-paying union jobs, racial equity, and climate action, the THRIVE Act brings a transformative approach to rebuilding our economy. With the collaboration of colleagues, advocates, and activists, we can work together to ensure we're recovering with a focus on justice and healing."

"Our country is facing four overlapping crises – mounting economic inequity, the climate crisis, racial injustice, and the coronavirus pandemic – and the THRIVE Act will ensure we have an intersectional response that is proportionate to the scope of the problems we face," said Sen. Markey. "We need good-paying union jobs, we need justice for all, and we need to act on climate. Last night, we heard President Biden's vision for how to recover from the crises we face. The THRIVE Act would bring the scale, scope, and standards that we need to make an equitable recovery happen and ensure that all people, everywhere, can truly thrive."

The THRIVE Act would authorize investments of at least $1 trillion per year for FY 2022-2031. Additionally, the bill would create a THRIVE Board – appointed by the President – of representatives from impacted communities, unions, and Indigenous Nations to guide the $1 trillion per year in new investments for the following:

• Upgrade our infrastructure for clean water, affordable public transit, and a reliable electric grid (creating five million jobs);
• Expand access to wind and solar power, electric vehicles, and healthy buildings (creating four million jobs);
• Protect our rural and urban spaces, wetlands, prairies, forests and support family farmers who are embracing regenerative agriculture (creating four million jobs); and
• Invest in public institutions and care for children and the elderly — essential work that is underpaid and largely performed by women of color (creating two million jobs).
• Additionally, the bill would require strong labor, equity, and climate standards to build a more just economy, including: wage and benefit guarantees and access to unions, community benefit agreements and equitable hiring and contracting that favors women and Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and environmental justice and climate standards.

The THRIVE Act was also introduced by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Reps. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Ilhan Omar (MN-05).

A copy of the THRIVE Act can be foundhere.

This legislation is endorsed by the following organizations: Center for Popular Democracy, Climate Justice Alliance, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Greenpeace USA, Green New Deal Network, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indivisible, Movement for Black Lives, People's Action, Right to the City Alliance, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Sierra Club, Sunrise Movement, US Climate Action Network, the Working Families Party, Common Defense, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, American Federation of Teachers, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Communications Workers of America, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), United We Dream, Bold Alliance, Public Citizen, GreenLatinos, Poder LatinX, 350.org, MADRE, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, Native Movement, Clean Water Action, Moms Clean Air Force, MoveOn, and many more.

###