$7.25 just isn’t cutting it

This piece was originally published in the February 24, 2021 edition of CAP Action’s daily newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

“Raising the minimum wage IS COVID relief.”

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)

In the richest country on earth, no one working 40 hours a week should have to live in poverty.

It’s long past time to raise the minimum wage.

Watch and share this video to get the facts out:

IN THE NEWS

• Breaking tonight: President Biden plans to fill several spots on the U.S. Postal Service’s board of governors, effectively ending Trump ally Louis DeJoy’s tenure as Postmaster General. The announcement follows a push from progressives to quickly fill the three board vacancies and oust DeJoy, who has faced extensive criticism over his ties to private shipping interests and the nationwide mail delays last year (and for some, those delays persist). Biden will nominate a former U.S. Postal Service executive, a leading voting rights advocate, and a former postal union leader to the board vacancies.
• Biden’s pandemic relief plan is really, really popular. Feel like you’ve heard this one before? You’d be right. It feels like every day, there’s a new poll or study reiterating just how widely-liked the American Rescue Plan is — even as Mitch McConnell and his caucus continue to reject the will of the people and double down on their baseless opposition to the relief package.
• Just today, new data from Morning Consult found even higher support than previous polls had found for passing Biden’s plan. 76% of Americans support the $1.9 trillion bill, which alone would be compelling enough. But the other headline-making number here is the percentage of Republicans — 60% — who back the relief bill. 89% of Democrats support it, as well as 70% of independents. To sum it up: A vast majority of Americans across party lines recognize the need for immediate, serious relief (even CEOs!). Help can’t come a moment too soon.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• Rep. Deb Haaland’s confirmation hearing to be the next Interior Secretary picked back up this morning. Here’s a powerful excerpt from her remarks:

“This is all of our country, this is our mother. You’ve heard the earth referred to as mother earth. It’s difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land, and I feel that every Indigenous person in this country understands that.”

• Despite continued attempts by a certain Montana senator to paint Haaland as “radical” for her lifelong dedication to Indigenous communities and environmental justice, Haaland is likely to be confirmed when her nomination comes up for a vote. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who waited to announce his stance until the conclusion of Haaland’s hearings, said this afternoon that he would support her nomination, which all but ensures her confirmation. Manchin praised the progressive nominee as “a Secretary of the Interior for every American.”
• As a reminder, Haaland is set to become the first Indigenous Cabinet secretary and one of the highest-ranking Indigenous people to serve in the federal government. Her background and experience as an environmental activist will be crucial in rebuilding the Interior Department as a force for good and a steward of America’s public lands. It’s hard not to feel hopeful watching someone so qualified, smart, and passionate be elevated to this critical role under the new administration.
• For more on the Interior Secretary-designate and how she could transform the Department into a vehicle for progress, check out this article from Data for Progress.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• In this piece from the New York Times, two legal experts explain how Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland can bring bail reform to the federal justice system and reduce the rate of pretrial incarceration.
• For Black Families, Evictions Are Still At A Crisis Point — Despite Moratorium by Pam Fessler (NPR)
• If You’re Offered a Vaccine, Take It by Melinda Wenner Moyer (New York Times)