Ayanna Pressley Of AOC’s ‘Squad’ Claims Federal Job Guarantee ‘Lays The Foundation For Economic Justice’

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), a member of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) radically liberal “Squad,” spoke out this week to call for a federal job guarantee, contending it “lays the foundation for economic justice & freedom.”

Pressley Speaks Out

“A reliable job. A living wage. A federal job guarantee lays the foundation for economic justice & freedom,” Pressley said, adding that it is “about developing programs that meet long neglected needs in our community.”

A reliable job. A living wage.

A federal job guarantee lays the foundation for economic justice & freedom. pic.twitter.com/NMpLtjU5xh

— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) February 23, 2021

This comes one week after Pressley introduced a resolution that would “provide every person with an enforceable legal right to a quality job,” according to her office.

The program would be funded by the federal government, which would work with communities to provide “public jobs for all adults seeking employment.”

Pressley’s Office Releases Statement

Pressley’s office said that the goal of the proposal is to “true full employment” while simultaneously reducing “racial and gender inequities.” Her office continued:

By ensuring everyone has access to a good job with dignified wages, safe working conditions, health care and other benefits—including full worker rights and union protections—a federal job guarantee would address the current jobs crisis while laying the foundation for an equitable economic recovery. It would also set a new standard for quality jobs, pressuring low-wage employers to increase wages and benefits.

It would create a pathway to stable employment and begin to close the gaping income and wealth gap for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous workers who continue to face discrimination and are often the “first ones fired, last ones hired” during economic crises. It would also ensure economic inclusion for those experiencing discrimination in the labor market, including people with disabilities, transgender people, caregivers, and people with criminal records or involvement with the criminal legal system.

By hiring workers in the midst of a downturn, a permanent job guarantee would operate as an automatic stabilizer, maintaining consumer spending and protecting us from prolonged recessions and jobless recoveries — making the economy more resilient as well as more inclusive.

Summary Of The Resolution

The summary of the resolution gives examples of “guarantee projects,” which include “expanding emergency preparedness,” “producing works of public art and documentation,” and “augmenting the staffing of public education and early childhood learning.”

“It’s time to establish a legal right to a job for all people in America,” Pressley said in a statement. “For years, we have legislated hate, harm and injustice in this country.”

“It’s long past time to pursue bold, intentional policies that affirm equity and recognize the dignity and humanity of all people,” she continued, going on to describe a federal job guarantee an “important investment” to achieve an equitable economy.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 24, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.