Sojourners Supports Biden’s Bold Plan Focusing on the Needs of Families, and Prioritizing Addressing Historic and Systemic Injustices

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 28, 2021

Contact: jromero@sojo.net

WASHINGTON, DC - Sojourners’ President, Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, and Founder, Rev. Jim Wallis, applaud President Biden’s American Families Plan released today. The American Families Plan, along with the American Jobs Plan, build onto the American Rescue Plan which was signed into law earlier this year.

Together these plans provide historic, necessary, and overdue investments into our country, communities, and families leading to a more just recovery and enabling communities and families to thrive through provisions including: investments in education with two years of pre-K for all children, two years free of community college, and increasing access to affordable higher education through expanded Pell grants; paid family and medical leave for self-care, childcare, parental leave, and elder care; increased investment in critical safety-net programs; extending the expansion of the Child Tax Credit; reforming the tax code; expanding access to affordable health care, increasing investments into infrastructure and housing— all while committing to address historic and systemic injustices around issues or race, gender, and the environment.

While we welcome the commitment to extend the child tax credit to 2025, we must find the political will to make this critical child poverty-cutting measure permanent.

“These investments would lead to a much more equitable and just economy—one in which all people, families, and communities are able to thrive and succeed. They will significantly transform our economy in ways that advance racial equity, accelerate a just transition toward a green economy and create shared prosperity,” said Sojourners’ President Rev. Adam Russell Taylor.

“This historic legislation would have a positive impact for generations to come and would address some of the deepest disparities and inequities that exist in our country and that have been revealed by both COVID and the racial reckoning. This legislation rises to meet the moral challenges of this moment.” said Sojourners’ Founder and Ambassador, Rev. Jim Wallis.

Sojourners, through its leadership in the Circle of Protection, has and will continue to push to build bipartisan support for strong, bold, and robust legislation to address the challenges we face as individuals, communities, and a nation.