Becoming a broadcasting network, essentially. How do they play into this . They are very into their devices, they want you to use stuff on that. Are they going to become the Cable Company eventually . Tim there will be a massive fight for content and services. I think devices and networks have the potential to get massively commoditized if i took everyones phone and taped it to a wall and we all stood 20 feet away, you would have a hard time telling the difference between a phone content is something that drives differentiation over time. When you look at things like sports rights or the live content stuff coming out today, there will be a really, really significant amount of investment in content. It will require similar investment in the advertising side. Media will change this is the year we are going to hypermedia. The companies in this room have the chance to benefit but you have to hustle. Kara who will suffer most in that transition . Tim any company that doesnt seachange as a weapon for the future will suffer. If youre not going willing to change, you will get blown over. Kara broadcast networks . Tim if you are not willing to put your content on the internet, you are plane with fire. Kara thevr . What do you imagine . Tim internet of things will change how everything is done. Instead of the internet or one thing getting credit for everything, advertisers will know where theyre getting credit. Internet of things mixed with Virtual Reality where every place you go, you can have a designed experience you look at the stuff in the news today come you can imagine the difference between reading it and getting a report versus having you in the situation yourself and being able to see what all the players are doing inside of the new speed. News feed. You will be able to live inside of the information you see. It will give you a much different viewpoint of what the dynamics are. 4 of video is programmatic on funds right now. 4 of advertising experiences are programmatic. Theres a baseball game, we would be two outs in the first inning and the other team has not even gotten up yet. The future will be much, much more exciting than what you think about today. Kara when you start with sports metaphors, i leave. Thank you so much. [applause] Congress Returns to session on monday. Later next week, the house will turn to several items come including work on a Highway Trust Fund set to expire at the end of may. 2016 spending for the legislative branch. You can see the house live on cspan. The senate also returns monday with continued work on trade promotion authority. That measure authorizes president obama to enter into trade agreement by july of 2018 and would need congressional oversight and approval. They could amend provisions of the patriot act that would end the nsas collection of Americans Fund records americans phone records. Thats on cspan2. Earlier this week, build the blase oh unveiling what he is calling a Progressive Agenda to combat income inequality. He was joined by howard dean and al sharpton. This is one hour and 15 minutes. Good afternoon, everyone. I want to thank my fellow progressives who are here, mayors, members of the house and senate come activists, labor leaders, civil rights champions progressives from every part of the country and progressives who have made a big difference in communities all over this country. Six weeks ago, i convened a small group of progressive leaders. The idea was to discuss the central challenge of our time, income inequality. Making an impact like never before. We pledged to reach out all over the country to hundreds of fellow regressives and start a movement that would reach all the way here to washington and make an impact so we can finally address income inequality. We knew it would take a bold set of solutions that no half measures would do. Today, we are announcing and signing the Progressive Agenda to combat income inequality. [applause] the progressive ideas will make an enormous difference for families all over this country for Everyday Americans, they are bold sets and clear steps like increasing the minimum wage to 15 an hour. [applause] National Paid sick leave and paid family leave loss. Universal prek and after school and childcare. And closing the tax loopholes that hold us back. Closing the loopholes that allow ceos and Hedge Fund Managers and billionaires to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. The only way we will turn this country around is to have the resources we need to that will take progressive taxation. This is a beginning and there is more to come. Ive talked to so many members of this externally coalition. The next chapter will add additional key the expansion of Social Security, debtfree college, we will find ways to make sure we are investing in schools, not jails. [applause] to get people returning home from prison, a Second Chance at an avid features of this country can be whole again. We look forward to working on these priorities, building this movement all over the country. The Progressive Agenda comes down to a simple concept. We need to reward work again. We need to reward work, not wealth. Thats a change that will have a profound affect on this country. Something is happening in this country right now and i have a lot of good witnesses right here. Something different is happening. A movement from the grassroots, an urgent call for change. We are hearing the voices of people every day last month we saw demonstrations in 200 cities across this country for a 15 minimum wage. Something is changing in america. Its time to take that energy and crystallize it into an agenda that will make a difference. It is time to put people ahead of profits. Value work over wealth. Its as simple as that. We will be calling on leaders and candidates to address these issues, to stiffen their backbones and be clear and champion these progressive policies. We know this cause will grow. We are inviting Everyday Americans to be part of this. Sign up today at Progressive Agenda. U. S. When you go on that website, you will see an invitation for this moment in history. One of the founders of this effort joined with us at gracie mansion. One of the greatest living americans whose words inspire us. Its my honor to turn to someone who has shown us what it means to build progressive politics in this country. Whose commitment to genuine grassroots action has transformed politics in this nation. The former dnc chairman and governor howard dean. Howard dean i am not really from inside i will stick to two minutes and i encourage everybody else to do the same. I want to thank mayor double osseeblasio for his extraordinary leadership. He understands ordinary working people and the people who built this country. I am fully signed on to this. This is about trying to move a candidate in a certain direction she has embraced a lot of this already. We have to deal with the fact that 80 of this country has not had a raise in the last 20 years. Im not against rich people, but i am for america and america cannot work if 80 of the people dont participate in the benefits of eric stringer economic machine. We are asking you to tinker with the machine. We want to major that the people who work really hard are beneficiaries, that their kids can go to college and not fear indebtedness for the rest of their lives. That everyone has Adequate Health care and there are things we can do. We appreciate the president s leadership on health care, but there are some things we need to do to fix it to major everybody has health care at a reasonable price. There are many things on this agenda that bill and his folks put together that i fully ascribed to. Im honored by his leadership and example and i thank him and all the people here who have spent a great deal of time in their lives fighting for what is right in a place that is not so easy to do that, in the building right behind us. [applause] senator merkley i am delighted to be here today to stand with mayor deblasio and governor dean and some a champions were fighting for a better america. My father was a mechanic who kept a lumber mill operating. When i was a child in grade school, he said to me, son, if you go through the doors of that school and you work hard, you can do almost anything here in america. That was a vision of opportunity for every child in america to thrive and pursue their dreams and give back to society. That is a vision that is slipping away and thats why we are here today united. Need a Stronger Public education, good paying jobs, the peace of mind that goes with accessible, Affordable Health care when url. That is the promise we are fighting for. When you are ill. Are we united . [applause] are we united in the bleak that if you work fulltime in america , you should not live in poverty in america . Do we believe that Higher Education is not returning that every child who aspires to which he able to get through the doors of that schoolhouse . That means we will have to control the inflation and tuition. We have to increase the hell grant that so many of our families are struggling hell granpell grant. They should be able to borrow at the same low Interest Rates the big banks get when they borrow. Its way past time that we adopt basic standards for working families here in america that are common throughout the industrialized world. Paid sick leave and paid family leave and affordable childcare. We need to have tax fairness here in america. Shouldnt the wealthiest family at least pay the same tax rate that working families pay . Is that too much to ask . We have so many egregious tax loopholes. 30 of the most profitable corporations in america dont pay a single dime in taxes. Is that wrong . Shouldnt they contribute to the infrastructure and Public Education that provides a foundation for a company to thrive . We will not have a middleclass if we dont make things here in america. Thats why it is so important that we shut down these tax loopholes and subsidize the export of our jobs overseas. We should not engage in trade agreements that put our workers in direct competition with workers earning . 60 an hour. [applause] i returned to that vision that i was able to benefit from from my father and my family that here in america, you get a fair chance to thrive. That is not the case for working families and struggling families today and we need to change that. This agenda, this Progressive Agenda is so important. Lets stand together and spread the word and restore america so that every worker has a foundation to live a great life and could you be greatly to america. [applause] thank you very much. As the cochair of the progressive caucus, i want to thank the mayor my esteemed colleagues here from the caucus and all the leadership before you. Working people need a break. They need an economy that is going to return opportunity to families, fair taxation, livable wages income inequality is the result of a very privileged Economic Policy we have had for the last 30 years. It has been top up. We find many families not being able to sustain and have hope for opportunity for their families. The American People need someone to fight for them. They need someone to stand up for them and they need someone that is willing on a daily basis to fight for them. The pledge is a call to action and a commitment to making sure that this economy in this country works for all of us and works for the American People. Thank you and let me ask my choke cochair we are not signing a pledge to give up more money to people who already have way too much. We are signing a pledge to the vast majority of American People who work hard every day and have reason to believe that their elected officials are going to stand with them and fight for them to have a better life. Its about raising the wages its about fighting for the rights of collective bargaining, its about paid sick, its about trade deals and we are united with our friends in labor and we are especially inspired by those millions of young people all over this country, all these people standing up, demanding people who are making beds and frying chicken at this very moment, to make sure they have a life. We pledge to stand with them. We will work and fight and never give up until we make sure that the American Dream is a reality not just a dream, but a possibility and a way forward. Im proud to sign this and we are doing it right now. [applause] thank you very much. Let me give a special shout out and thank mayor deblasio for his bold and tremendous leadership. We are talking about what the country really knows about and that is a Progressive Agenda. I want to also thank our governors and senators and members of congress and labor leaders who are here today. All of the champions for change and for a Progressive Agenda. My mayor i come from oakland. We know what a Progressive Agenda is. Im very proud to be here with you. We know we have work to do to address income inequality and get Racial Justice. We see poverty rates two or three times the rates in communities of color africanamericans and latinos where unemployment rates are twice the rates of other communities. We have to address these inequalities head on and fight for Economic Justice for all. This is a Progressive Agenda that does just that. We lift people off the floor. We are not just talking about the minimum wage. We are talking about a living right. People deserve to be able to feed their families and pay their rent and buy a home and live the American Dream. Thats what the Progressive Agenda stands for. We support families with educational opportunities. We also advance some basic tax fairness by ending corporate welfare. Thats what a Progressive Agenda does. It combats income inequality and restore separately for each and every american to live the American Dream by advancing investing in families instead of the superrich. Economic justice and Racial Justice thank you again for standing tall for a Progressive Agenda and im proud to sign this document today. [applause] good afternoon. What a day. Thank you so much, mayor. Thank you for bringing us together in this effort. Today, the greatest economic challenge we face is that people are in jobs that simply do not pay them enough money. Any starting point of income inequality has to be wages. Wages are stagnant. Working families are struggling today. There are many factors to blame. Inequality is not inevitable. It is a choice that we make. Bad trade policy is a prime example. Over the past when he five years, a succession of trade agreements have sent u. S. Jobs overseas and have depressed wages. Right now, just now, the senate has just voted to block fasttrack. [applause] my friends, the fight is not over. The Transpacific Partnership threatens american jobs, wages and regulations. That is exactly why we must set our Public Policy on a new and a Progressive Agenda is that path. It places working families at the heart of our national conversation. It advances bold, progressive solutions. Minimum wage, paid sick leave universal prek come immigration reform, restoring the right to organize and opposing bad trade deals. These are things that so many of us have been advocating for a long time. The mayor and his team deserve our thanks for bringing them together in a unified agenda. Mayor deblasio is not just talk, he is action. He has already started a prek program for 53,000. He expanded paid sick days and his city and he has raised the minimum wage for thousands of hardworking new yorkers. This Broad Coalition from elected officials to activists shows there is a hunger in the United States of America Today or a genuine Progressive Agenda. It is my honor to stand with all of you. Thank you. [applause] a great day right . Terrific. One big step. Our Progressive Agenda is our common story. Not just the coalition. To a story about democracy opportunity, a their economy cutting 1 trillion in student debt that jokes our families. Chokes our families. Its about collective bargaining rights for American Workers. Its about that higher minimum wage and raising, not cutting Social Security. Most of all, its about decent jobs in a Global Economy with rules that prevent a race to the bottom. Our cities cannot survive or thrive just with skyscraper jobs for the fortunate few while the rest of us clean up for the 1 or drive them around. Fair trade unites us. The senate act on that today. The 11 trillion trade deficit of the last 20 years not only transfers 20 trillion of wealth to foreign governments and corporations and billionaires, but also impoverishes our cities. Our nation is badly out of balance. The lowest percentage of our citizens are able to vote the highest prison population, ceos earning 400 times with their workers make and the list goes on. Today, the senate in rejecting fasttrack for today says that we wont agree to more secret trade deals, we wont agree to fasttrack for six more years. The first term of the next president and the first year for the president after that or the second term, secret trade deals this is all about this Progressive Agenda. Its all about our democracy all about what opportunity really exist. Its all about what we do when we are under attack. We stand up and fight back. We stand up, we might back. Im proud to sign this. Thank you. We fight back. [applause] thank you for putting this together. All the progressive leaders that are here today. One of the political statements i remember most of my adult life has been slightly paraphrased to if the economy its the economy, stupid. This is the meet on the bone for 2015 to give a progressive economic agenda for americans who work hard and play by the rules, we will make sure that you have a good wage and that we will keep jobs in america. We will make sure we support your families with sick leave and paid leave and prek and we will make sure we have tax fairness so that everyone pays their fair share. Im very proud to be here with all of these leaders and to sign on today. This is the meat on the bone of a Progressive Agenda. [applause] [speaking spanish] it is such an honor to be here with so many fighters for justice. I am an elementary teacher. I have taught in the summers, i have taught in homeless shelters and i know what poverty means to kids. When someone says to me, what are you most in need what do you most need . I say make sure their families can put food on the table make sure their families can make a living wage, make sure they have access to preschool and that they will end up at the end of the School Pipeline with the ability to afford college instead of having college debt. Where is their paid time off when the kids are sick . There are so many things that are middleclass families now dont have access to im not talking about myself. Im not talking about the poorest of the poor. Im talking about the average kid that walks into that school on any given day 51 of schoolchildren today qualify for free or reduced lunch. That means 51 of our Public School children come from families that are struggling financially. And they dont have the right to even guarantee that there is going to be a roof over their head. The people that do have the power to give them that right work in this beautiful building over here. They are the ones that have access to everything my kids need. The most beautiful thing about that building is those guys have a boss and its the American People. We are their posture we have the right to demand what we needed to make sure our kids have what they need to succeed. What they need is a family that has some decent security, a hardworking family that knows that every single im a really hard greater. When my kids turn in their homework and it was not enough i marked it up and send them back and said you can do better. Right now, we know that this congress, this senate can do better for working people. We will sign this and we are sending them back to do their homework. [applause] leo gerard, president of the steelworkers. Leo are you ready to fight for this agenda . When you go home, are you prepared to broaden the coalition for this agenda . Because were not going to change anything just stating standing here. Its going to take hard work and its going to take us making sure that the public understands whats at stake. Lift the floor for working people. Let me give you a fact that it is shockingly found out today. We are arguing for 15 minimum wage. Is that enough . No. At the minimum wage had kept with inflation, it would be 18 today. Productivity has gone up more than 180 . Ceo compensation has gone up sometimes 150 , 200 . 400 times more than the average worker. That didnt happen by accident. That happen as a result of an Economic System that has been in place for the last 35 years to push us down. And i can tell you this. As the president of the steelworkers union, what ive been saying to members of congress the last several weeks on these trade deals, let your history be your guide. I challenge any member of that congress to come forward and show us a trade deal that resulted in net job increase is for American Workers and upward pressure on wages. They cant find it. They cant find a trade you like that because they dont exist. Thats part of the push down of wages. Thats part of us losing 60,000 factories. Thats part of them telling us you cant afford to have that because we have to compete with china or vietnam. I dont intend for steelworkers to have to compete with 50 cents an hour wages. I dont intend our steelworkers to have to compete with slave labor from some other country. I dont intend for workers to have to compete with the sultan who thinks he should have 7000 antique cars and have forced labor in this country. I intend to fight with mayor de blasio who i think profoundly for bringing this together. Identify with all of these people that are here in the Progressive Agenda and i intend we will never stop fighting until we win. Thats what i ask you again car are you prepared to fight for this agenda . I am proud to sign it. Thank you, brother. Mary kay henry, president of seiu. [applause] thank you. Thank you, mayor de blasio et merit the blessing o my brothers and sisters in the Progressive Movement, the 2 million members of seiu and attends and thousands of courageous activism that are hitting the streets month after month to fight for a more just america. We are proud to stand today and sign this pledge to combat income inequality. We know that the promise of america is being threatened each and every day. Its been undermined by big corporations and the wealthy few who have rigged the rules of our economy and democracy so they can siphon off for themselves most of the money that our work creates and the voices that we each have in our democracy. That promise is stunted by the persistent existence of Structural Racism in this economy and democracy that continues to take the lives and futures of black americans in this nation, and by the broken immigration system that persists in keeping millions of immigrants in the shadows of our nation. The crucial debate that is underway in our nation is being prosecuted in the streets. We are here today as National Leaders of the progressive america to back the courageous courage of people that are growing a movement in this country to insist for a fight for 15 in the union, for working people do have a say and a seat at the table with corporate america, for a balance of power for black lives matter comest in and working people and communities that are insisting and for immigration reform. We stand with the airport workers, walmart workers, how care workers come Higher Education faculty that are insisting in our america. This agenda is a response to the call of the people in the streets of this nation for an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and the corporations. We are obliged to meet the current with the courage to lead. Thank you for your courage and pulling us together and thank you all very much. [applause] good afternoon, everybody. Youve been hearing a lot of speeches and you will probably hear a few more talking the good talk. Now, its time to walk the walk. 1. 6 million members essential to to shoulder with our progress of partners from across the country. We know that stronger unions means a stronger middle class and they struggled middleclass equals a stronger america for all of us. Thats a stronger middleclass equals a stronger america for all of us. Thats why we stand behind the Progressive Agenda. This is not rocket science. Its going back to basic 101 going back to our communitys, block by block, street by street , city by city. County by county, state by state. Organizing and mobilizing and educating archimedes across the country. Our communities across the country. Retirement security has been disintegrating for most working families across america. The wealthy just keep getting richer. That is not who we are. That is not what this country is truly about. Thats not what progressives stand for. We are all in this together. All of us need to rise or we fall together. We support the Progressive Agenda because it stance for the prince wolf that the working men and women helped create should also share in americas prosperity. We are ready to roll and ready to fight. Thank you. [applause] like my brother, this 1. 6 million member union is also ready to walk the walk. As my kids used to say, its time to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. The time is well past time that im so grateful that the mayor has brought us all together some folks from labor, some from civil rights, some of our incredibly fantastic foot soldiers in congress, people who have actually seen what the effects of trickledown economics have been. People have seen what the effect of a rigged the economy has been. What we are trying to say here with this agenda you dont see Public Education on the agenda. But Public Education is part of a Building Block of the economy. When you have these Building Blocks of lifting the floor for working people supporting working families, tax fairness we as teachers can do our jobs are children. For children. We can lift all boats when you have an economy like this. I am proud to be part of this Progressive Community to say lets not just talk the rhetoric, lets do these tangible things and lets walk this walk for americas people right now, starting today. [applause] reverend al sharpton. Al sharpton thank you. Let me say, when mayor deblasio had contacted me, i had some concerns because i have seen progressive groups come and go. But because of his leadership and the ability of saying that we can impunity without uniformity i said i wanted to work to set what is the goal post for where this nation needs to go. When i was 13 years old, and became the youth director of operation breadbasket in new york. The your doctor king was killed the your dr. King was killed. The movement became splintered and we started fighting. Richard nixon became president in 1968. We dont agree on everything. But we agree that we have got to deal with incuome inequality in wages and how we get there. We establish where the goalpost is with his agenda. We can argue about the ways to get there. In new york, we have you would think from the right wing that mayor deblasio and i are twins. The goal is to protect people and police. Ive been a firm supporter of president obama and remain that. On apologetic. I will fight for that in the room. There are debates about trade that we dont agree, theres debates about crucial we all agree when we need to vote. In that spirit, led by someone who all sides of the debate can trust, i dont come with uniformity, but i come with unity that we have to deal with the issue of our time, income inequality. Yes, Police Misconduct were accountability is not on the list, but when you look at whats going on, at the core root of a lot of reaction is economic inequality. Mass incarceration, economic inequality. If you look at the things the Civil Rights Community is concerned about, economic and quality economic inequality. I thought about how howard dean and i ran against each other in washington. You won washington and i beat him in south carolina. We can debate our differences on trade and our differences on inclusion. We cannot debate that america has to be fair for everybody and we cannot debate that the billionaires are playing games with us and treating us like hamsters on a treadmill rather than people that are focused on the goal line. We will change the debate starting today, we will debate where we think is best to get there, but the goal is a debatable and i salute mayor to blood zero for being big enough mary the blahyor deblasio for being big enough to say the goals are bigger. Im willing to be the mansion thats outside has no room for regular working people. Lets fight to change the landscape. Thank you. I will sign. [applause] good afternoon. Im here all the way from oakland, california to roast in your d. C. Sun. Oakland also wants to stand proudly as part of the Progressive Agenda to and income inequality. The city like oakland is one of the most expensive places to live in this country already. We are the second fastest raising rents in the country. We have done our part in oakland to raise the minimum wage. Something the federal government really should do. We need the federal leaders to help us and do their share so we can have some shared prosperity. Things like quality preschool 21st century jobtraining and Affordable College tuition. And how about some reasonable gun laws so that i am very proud to sign this pledge today on behalf of cities all over this country that are on the ground, feeling the effects of this income inequality. Thank you, mayor to blog you. Thank you, mayor deblasio. Theyre the lowest unemployment in 25 years, but our families have lost 20 of the yearly earnings. It is time for this Progressive Agenda, where work is rewarded not wealth, for dayton, for ohio, and for our country. Thank you. The dean of the entire house or presented its, congress been john conyers reporting. Brothers and sisters, what we are doing here to change things. Its got to change things. We are here with mayor de blasio and so many of our Close Friends to launch the Progressive Agenda. Give all the members of congress and the Progressive Agenda a round of applause for putting this together. [applause] income inequality threatens the character of the country as well as our economic future. 95 of the games since the Great Recession went to the top 1 of the economic ladder and wages for the nations working families remain stagnant. This cannot continue. The discrepancy partial results from the ongoing crisis in the job market. Thats why i propose a full employment legislation for everybody in america to either have a job or get trained for a job. Full employment. Thats the way out of what were in right now. Now, despite all of the progress made by this administration, and sometimes by us, weve got 20 million americans that are unable to find fulltime employment, and thats got to change. Joseph stiglitz, economist, and other top economists, emphasize that full employment is essential not only for the well being of american families, but the economy as well. And so i am proud to sign as a supporter of our Progressive Agenda, and i look forward to working with everyone of you to achieve full employment in america. Thank you. Congressman, thank you. You can get your coat back. Maria elena durazo. Thank you, mayor. In new york harbor statue of liberty stands as a beacon shining for the world to see and on it is inscribed, give me your poor. It doesnt say, so we can keep them poor. But for immigrants in america that is exactly what we are doing. 30 of all immigrants in america are working as custodians and groundskeepers. 80 of immigrants are working in lowwage jobs. In my unions jurisdiction, we have nearly 200,000 immigrants working as hotel housekeepers, and 600,000 cooking food. Think about who these people are. They are among the bravest of all of us. They came here with nothing. They brought only their name within. With them. They left everyone. They left everything behind. They didnt come to get welfare or social services. They came to work. The last five words of our National Anthem are, the home of the brave. Who better than immigrants were brave enough to come here, should want to stay here . Is so much written about the millennial generation, but all that talk paints the stereotype of who the millennial are. We pictured him as white, collegeeducated, digitally hip, socially connected. But for 3 43 of the millennials are nonwhite. Twothirds are not college graduates. 47 of the children have a single mom. 30 of all the lowwage workers in america are Millennial Women of color. And continues these millennials of color will make up 75 of the global workforce. No one will escape their sheer numbers. And while its much in vogue to talk about income inequality in lowwage jobs, i think its time to shift the focus away from the issue and onto the politicians who vote for tax breaks that create the lowwage jobs. Politicians who give speeches and do nothing. Its time to focus on lowwage politicians and hold them accountable with our votes. The dreamers have pointed the way. Those young men and women are the new beacon. They stand as the example, shining the light for all of us to follow. Alike the light that demands equality and points to higher future, Brighter Future and will guide america. [speaking spanish] muchas gracias. I want to thank a dear friend from labor, george, thank you. Now if i could call of the resident of the National Council of la raza, janet marguia. We all feared together with different constituencies but common goals. Latino families have a stake in the future of america come and america has a stake in the future of latino we support nclr, and National Council of la raza, supports this Progressive Agenda because we understand that it is an agenda for all americans. A commonsense agenda for all americans. Thank you. Van van jones. Its an honor to be your. First i just want to say, ive been reading in the media. People ask a question who , does mayor de blasio think he is to be pulling all thesefolks these folks together . His the mayor. I want to say very, very clearly, i want to say very, very clearly, a mayor in the middle of a National Security crisis, giuliani, brought this country together and lead as americas mayor. We are now in an Economic Security crisis hit crisis. It is highly appropriate that americas mayor bring us together again. Thank you, mayor de blasio for your leadership. Thank you for your leadership. I also want to say how much i appreciate his commitment as he underscores to conclude schools, not jails as a part of his agenda as we move forward. Young people who are marching across this country, the overwhelming majority of them peacefully, are heartbroken about the doors that have been closed to them. They they cant talk about income inequality because many of them cant get a job. And many of them cant get a job because they have a felony conviction. Go to just six times more often. Thats an economic issue. Its not just a justice issue. When you cant get a job because you have a felony. You cant get a student loan because you the conviction. You cant even rate rent an apartment, thats not just Racial Justice Issue Companies and Economic Justice issue. Its impossible for us to raise the floor on the working middle class, and theres a big hole cut in the floor called mass incarceration. So i am proud to be part of a movement that when it says equality for all, it includes everybody. Those poor kids in appalachia who dont have the future, poor kids, native american reservation dont have much hope. Africanamerican, latina kids in urban america who would love to have a job that we have to started investing in education for them. I salute this may force leadership and i pledge to work with him, with heather, with reverend sharpton and others to make sure criminal justice is a part of Economic Justice in this country. Thank you very much. Thank you, mayor de blasio and thank you to my brothers and sisters in the Progressive Movement for this visionary agenda. At demos we believe that all need to unite at this historical moment of political, economic and racial inequality to work for in america we all have an equal say in our democracy and an equal chance in our economy. Because today, a cashier who is making 720 7. 25 an hour not only 720 kids for her children 7. 25 were of food for her family, but she also seems to their just 7. 25 of respect in our political culture. And only 7. 25 worth a voice in our democracy. People might ask what his agenda came from. It came from the voices and the hearts and the feat in the arms of the people who have been pushing for a more progressive vision of this country. From the fast food workers have been fighting for along with adjunct professors 15 and childcare workers, from the walmart workers, from the people have been lying dead in the streets to say that black lives matter. From the students of said that debtfree college was good enough to great create the middle class at the turnofthecentury and its , good enough for the greatest most diverse generation of the world has ever seen. Im proud to stand in partnership with mayor de blasio, a visionary leader, of my hometown in new your, and signed this agenda. Thank you. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of illinois. I represent the night in chicago in the and when im home and in the grocery store, very often people come up to me in my progressive district and say, how can you stand it . They mean, how can they stand whats going on in this congress. And i say the reason i can state it is because the American People agree that they are ready to support a Progressive Agenda. We are ready to fight back because of the American People agree with all of these items. They know what is happening to them. So im very proud to stand here to fight to raise wages, to support unions and to protect and expand Social Security medicare, and medicaid. Thank you, mayor de blasio. Congressman charlie ringo, dean of the new york delegation. Mr. Mayor, labor leaders colleagues and friends, when i marched from selma to montgomery i had no idea that there could be dramatic changes made in our constitution. That constitution did not include disparity in wages but it did not include black figure does not include women and it did not include middleclass poor folks. Changes were made because americans thought it should be made. Blacks and jews and mormons and muslims came together and said its time for a change. This is a patriotic opportunity for us to say what is it that we can do . The president is talking a lot about tpp and tpa which means it is a trade agreement. It is not a secret tpd. The multinationals know exactly whats in that trade agreement that they also note about the millions and trillions of dollars they will be able to make. They dont have a commitment to working people or disparity, but one thing is clear. They are not talking about infrastructure and the roads and seaports and airports. Theyre not talking about training our workforce which means scientists and people are able to compete. And so if youre talking about trade, let them talk about not making certain that the rich continue to receive 95 of the profits which the trade agreement is going to bring, but Start Talking about the pulse of the United States of america the people that made it great, the people that fought its wars. And thats the middle class. Mr. Mayor this could be the , beginning of a resolution, a revolution. I hope our spiritual leaders will know if our communities crumble, so will their churches, synagogues and temples. Let us move forward and be the patriots that i know we are. Thank you. I want to say that i stated stand here as a former mayor so i absolutely stand here in such awe of the leadership of mayor de blasio. Ladies and gittleman, i am a freshman to congress, and i represent the city of detroit, the comeback city. We cannot come back as america, we can not come back as a city unless we start embracing the issue, the real issues, the core of our economy. This is a time for all of us to stand up and work together. I joined the other members of the progressive caucus, as a member of congress, as being one of those politicians that understand the work that we must do, that if we truly, truly want to make a legacy and make a difference in my tenure as a congresswoman, i will be fighting hard so that those women, and im very passionate about those women who are working every day, have children to take care of, also of children that they must provide and get education for and provide child care for. We are all in this together, and when you raise the wages of women, you raise the wages of the quality of life for women across this country and families. And when you raise the quality of life for families youre going to raise the quality of life in america. So im proud to stand here today with these progressive leaders and to sign. Thank you so much. [applause] sheila lee of texas. Thank you, mayor. Thank you very much. Im glad and whether stand with a man thats six feet plus and still growing. The reason is that a standing tall is for those who cannot speak for themselves. Im delighted to be with all my colleagues. And let me just say this. Two days ago was mothers day, and the breaking news was that mothers of america were living in abject poverty, in absolute misery, worse than mothers in third world countries. Why . Because every day they are struggling to make sure that their children eat when they cant eat. What a disgrace and a prosperous country like this. The Progressive Agenda is standing for redemption, making sure that these mothers can stand under the sun and the quality of life with childcare, with salaries above 15 an hour, with making sure that not making 78 cents on the dollar that theyve been making for more than 30 or 40 years as women. To make sure that tax fairness and the guy that is making billions for his paycheck, notice i didnt say millions billions as ceo can reach down and get the least of those mothers who are surviving. Last year i stood on this campus and held up an empty chair. It was cow care. Congress was cutting and slashing childcare and families were begging to have their children and childcare thank you, mayor, for understand the core values of providing Early Childhood education childcare. So i am so eager that i signed already and im going to sign makebelieve sign the Progressive Agenda. As we do that, mayor, i close on this. That has lifted the both of all people, you know we are doing . We are right in the middle of criminal Justice Reform because were taking people in abject of poverty of their life and lifting them up so they can students held to a positive, better quality of life. We are working together on all these issues. Thank you very much. Sign again. Thank you very much. Let me begin by thanking the mayor for bringing us here for setting up this coalition to push for a Progressive Agenda. And to push against income inequality. Theres many people in this country will would tell you thats not a legitimate objective. Income inequality is inevitable in a capitalist society. They are right. But it doesnt have to be as great. Even those whose income inequality is fine will tell you, demand equality of opportunity. The system in this country for the last 35 or 40 years has been rigged, not only against income inequality but against equality of opportunity. Against any reasonable opportunity for middle income people and low income people. When productivity goes up the amount the worker produces goes up by 180 and wages goes down. That is not equality of opportunity. It promotes income inequality. When some will be fired during to say lets form a union and the laws are not enforced, that leads to income inequality and inequality of opportunity. When you dont have childcare leave for working women, when you discriminate against pregnant women on the job, that leads to income inequality and lack of equal opportunity. All the things were talking about today from tax fairness, when Hedge Fund Manager pays a lower tax rate on his two and 20 than a secretary does on her earnings that income inequality and it leads to economic come to inequality of opportunity. All we ask is a fair shake, but this that this country works for everybody and thats what this is all about so i think thank everybody. We can have a trade pact as weve had for the last 20 years that make workers can be with people making 30 cents an hour or 30 cents a day come and the company says if he demand a decent wage we moved to vietnam. Thats income inequality and its inequality of opportunity. And thats what produces all the benefits of recoveries in recession going to the top 1 . We will not stand for it and were very glad that mayor brought us together today to begin this campaign for her progressive change. Thank you. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of brooklyn. Let me first of all just a what a wonderful thing it is here in washington, d. C. Mayors from around this nation including the mayor of my great city, new york whose leadership has brought us to this point. To Raul Grijalva and Keith Ellison and the colleagues of the Progressive National caucus. The calvary has arrived. Weve been talking about income inequality ad nauseam. Now its time to make action happen. To generation xers, generation y. And the millennials, this is your agenda. When we talk about whats happening to college students, Student Loans right now come when the income inequality can be something of a legacy that stays with you until the end of your days. We want to make sure that college is debt free for students. College is debt free for the next generation. That is what this agenda is all about. We know what is happening in urban Centers Across this nation come and we know the toll that its taking on our Civil Society society. This agenda is a forwardmoving agenda but its an agenda that americans can embrace and recognize that the core of their being is what this nation is truly about, opportunity. As a child of immigrants i know that has this type of inequality in existence where my parents came in the 1950s, i couldnt stand before you today. Represent the ninth Congressional District of new york. So the calvary has arrived. Labor on one side Civil Rights Committee on the other. Progressive city across this nation are rising up to say were going to close this gap and were going to put policies in place to put our people back to work and make sure their Human Dignity is preserved. Thank you very much. Mayor bill de blasio we want to , see you here in d. C. As often as you want to be here. I hit some thought into your but i will let them know that youre pushing an agenda that our cities will benefit from the thank you so much, mr. Mayor. I am sending up. I want to thank congressman jim mcgovern who signed up but had to leave. What you think jimmy hart. Were about to take questions from the media. If theres anyone else was not yet signed. If you want at a sentence or do, you can do it now. Otherwise he will take questions of the media. Just sign it. Going once. Go fast. I will, i promise. Its not. My name is jean ross, im a registered nurse. Nurses are Patient Advocates in hospitals and advocates for our communities at every level of government and industry. We support the progressive platform because too many people are suffering at every level in the quality of health care is damaged. People are suffering because of the vast divide of wealth in this country. Too many are suffering due to wall street and corporate americas stranglehold on our economy and our politics. Its time for us to unite to change and make that a better america and a better world for us all. And i think you. Dont forget to sign. Ok, last few and then we are taking questions. Good afternoon, everyone. Im a registered nurse. I am the Vice President of new state Nurses Association and has the mayor can attest when the mayor was running we were the first group to step out and support him. So we stood up for him then. Certainly its not a stretch to stand up for him today. And the people of this country that needs to get a fair shake in this country. Theres no reason to work every day, hardworking people, and still have welfare still be on food stamps. We are better than this. So i want to ask you and make you to go back home until everybody, we are better than this come into work towards that. Thank you. Im with the Economic Policy institute and i want to echo what the mayor said at the beginning. We need to honor work, not wealth. Thats basically it. Raise the wage. Thank you very much there it amen, brother to. Youve heard a lot about the agenda that i want to talk to you a bit about action. And, therefore, an alliance of four Major National groups represented 700 organizers, 2 million members and were prepared to join with the mayor and drive this agenda into the early primary states and make certain that every candidate has to respond to it. Thank you. Thank you. All right. All right. We are ready for questions. A lot of the colleagues talked about trade deals come Hillary Clinton has been mum on a very mum on it. Should she come out and oppose it . Here is a very clear agenda for addressing income inequality one of the elements right is we should make sure that are not trade deals that have power at the expense of American Workers. Its as simple as that. All leaders need to address the issue in their own way, but but it does have to be addressed. Specifically said on a . Ive been clear on the fact i believe people running for president , governor or senator should respond to this agenda, either i agree with it or often on version of how we address income inequality. One of the issues now in this nation is how we do a trade you probably that does not make this a mistake of the famous trade deals of the path. We dont need another nafta. Any candidate needs to address the issue into own way. What are you backing the wealthy over the workers . Workers over the wealthy. I i think its obvious the issue were talking about here have a huge impact on the people of new york city. And when you think of whats happening in our city, 46 of people in our city at or near the poverty level. Those are the statistics developed in the bloomberg administration. The ways we address that involve national policy. We can do a lot at the local level and trying to do with Affordable Housing in increasing paid sick leave and living wage and other measures. We need National Policies to change. Im going to be here tomorrow working for this new infrastructure in congress can new transportation bill. New york city and cities all over the country need the federal government to address income inequality we can make the progress we need without it. Even though you think youre doing this for New York New York voters dont think that. This is something that has to happen for people. None of us should get lost in perceptions. We deal on facts. Everyone understands the federal government has a huge impact on the future of the roads highways, mass transit education, Affordable Housing, things were crying out for solutions for in new york city. Its obvious what we need is right here. I notice on your plan to refinance Student Loan Debt for to take advantage of lower Interest Rates. One of the things progressives are pushing national it is debtfree Student Loans. So is that something weve heard that from a lot of members from the coalition, particularly the progressive caucus and that something we work into this Coalition Effort spent to incarceration rate is a concern. Theres a report that you think the murder rate in new york has gone up 20 . There was a robbery over in midtown manhattan the past couple of days and shots were fired. Right now we are in d. C. , nypd is concerned that the crime is going up in new york city. How do you answer that . Statistics said the commission has made quite clear the overall crime rate, major index crime is going to in the city even compare to lester which was a record year for crime reduction. Theres areas where we have to do better. Including implementing a host of new strategy including freeing up an immense amount of police time to address it cry because were not going to stop and frisk policy of the past, not arresting the huge number of young people for low number marijuana arrest. A lot is done to put Additional Resources out. But the fact is please check with the nypd on this, Overall Index crime in new york city has gone down this year compared to the same time last year. To questions. Could you tell us more about and commenting the implementing the buffett rule and specifically what that involves . And also i notice a lot of new York Congressman was on this list but a number are not. Could you talk about the people who are not on this list . Have you reached out to them . Do you expect all members of the new York Congress to sign up to this . We started with an effort to the National Congressional caucus, and some people just did not sign pledges. We do know theres folks in congress that make it a policy not to sign pledges but the folks ive reached out to, certainly the response was very, very positive. I think what youve seen literally in a few weeks the first meeting on this initiative was april 2 at gracie nation. We are here less than six weeks later theres been a and six weeks later. Theres been a tremendous response to think it indicates a lot of people who were in this building are looking to join a coalition to make a change as a fundamental level of our policy. You heard from a lot of them. They cannot change the policies into current political environment. We have to change the basic legal debate with it but income inequality at the front of the line of the issues we discussed. We think this agenda help to do that. Mayor, one of your complaint is raising the minimum wage to 15. That is something you want to do and have not been able to do yet. You have not on the reception you wanted, running out of time on the clock. How do you intend to make this happen nationally if its having such a Sticking Point in new york . I will point to the four red states that in 2014 in the general election voted for minimum wage increases. Certainly extraordinary efforts for the 15 coalition demonstrations in 200 cities simultaneously two weeks ago. I hopeful we will get change on am this issue in albany. I think people in new york state are demanding high wage. At the cost of strikes work stoppages, hitting the bricks. But it didnt any talk of that today. In other words, there was no talk of, ok, youre not going to give us this, were going to shut it down. We are going to really assert our power and close it up. And really hits you in the pocketbook. There was no talk of that. I am just wondering why . I appreciate your militancy henry. I think its quite clear it is the fact over the last 100 years. I think what we talk about is a coalition we think contains national debate. I think it is important to look at how intense the grassroots organizing efforts have been around these issues. The fight for 15 is not your gardenvariety organizing effort. It has been extra and very vibrant and it has made an a major impact. Corporations are proactively increasing the wages. That did not happen by accident. Theres been pressure on state legislatures to act even here in congress. Something different than what you described but clean energy level that is thriving, our Organization Level rising for progressive change. You need more than democrats to get your agenda passed. Dan donovan is being sworn in today. Have you talked to them about their agenda and talk about the agenda . I did congratulate him. We look forward to look we look forward to working together. He is someone in my past experience that i can work with. I talked about the fact we need help from congressman from both sides of the aisle to achieve the changes and i think he understands that. Elizabeth one and other democrats opposing the pacific trade, who is wrong here . Look, the bottom line on trade is, i couldnt agree more with Elizabeth Warren. And progressives who think theyre deeply concerned about this trade deal. We all live in the shadow of nafta. Its as simple as that. We all saw deal previously that was supposed to strengthen the economic hand of American Workers and undermined American Workers profoundly. Particularly our manufacturing sector. There is honest concern that this trade deal could do the same. Lets put aside at the very real concerns about information and process, theres tremendous concern as is made clear from the real empowerment will be for corporations, not for American Workers. I agree entirely with Elizabeth Warren on the issue. The president is attacking democrats for not supporting this what do you think . , i think we have a respectful disagreement on the issue and that is not unheard of in the democratic party. What you see is more and more energy among progressives cannot to not accept the status quo and a fundamental change the political debate, and the trade issue is a good example of that. I am wondering why the criminal Justice Reforms you talked so much about war years in new york city are not included as a part of the Progressive Agenda. We have not only talked about them, we have implemented the changes on stop and frisk come with marijuana arrest. Where are going to go back to the coalition starting tomorrow and add a couple of the pieces, with agreement of the coalition members, that people have said would be important to click important to include. Mass incarceration is having a huge negative impact on economic potential of young men of color in particular. It is pertinent to the question of income inequality and how we address it. I think the next few days well be adding some more planks including that one. I think three people today got hit on the head with with hammers in union square, so what you say to critics who say you should focus more at home . I think mayors of new york city for generations have had to speak up for our city here in washington and around the country. I remind people that greatest of
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.