For Immediate Release: July 21, 2024
Statement from Community Change Action Co-Presidents Lorella Praeli and Dorian Warren:
President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race is a remarkably courageous decision. Such self-sacrifice for the future of America will stand out singularly in the history of American public service.
When America needed Joe Biden to step up, he did so and defeated Trump; and when we needed him to step aside to give America its chance to defeat racist and dangerous MAGA extremism again, he has done that. President Biden’s legacy will be defined by his bold and progressive agenda. When President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, our country faced unprecedented crises–a global pandemic, economic and climate crisis, and racial injustice. This administration has reset the terms of our economy to help ordinary Americans get a chance to thrive, fast-tracked technologies that can prevent climatic disaster, made historic investments in infrastructure that will power us into the future, and put down payments on creating a care economy that works for all of us, not just the ultra-wealthy.
When voters voiced their concerns about his ability to win this election, Joe Biden listened because that’s what he’s done his entire time in office. He listened when we urged action on the care economy by announcing changes to long-term care staffing, lowering the cost of childcare for parents, and fighting for an expanded child tax credit. He listened when we urged him to take action to relieve student loan repayments by restructuring income-driven repayment options and forgiving billions in student loan debt, giving low-income, Black, and Latino borrowers some breathing room. Joe Biden listened to voters and signed executive orders to promote racial equity, close the gender pay gap, and to create a legal pathway for undocumented spouses of US citizens; he fought to protect reproductive rights, make prescription drugs more affordable, and expand access to healthcare. And, he managed to do it with Republican resistance and MAGA courts working feverishly to undo the progress we’ve made.
Change and growth are part of our democracy, and when it’s built through the voices of people, it signals democracy is working. This election is about the future of America: one where our leaders protect our freedoms or where MAGA Republicans control us. Our movement is bigger than any one candidate or one election, and our power flows from our people and our values–that’s what is at the core of our work.
The Black, Latino, low-income, immigrant, and women voters Community Change Action talks to every day want leadership that will champion policies to put food on the table without going into debt, access the healthcare we need without fear, have a sustainable and affordable childcare system, and keep our loved ones safe. At the end of the day, the people’s voices matter most, and together, we can win the future we all deserve.
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