Today is an historic day — for women, for working people, for all of us who want a better America.

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was just sworn in as the first woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. She is charged with nothing less than making good on the promises made in the 2006 mid-term election by progressive candidates. The Democrats will be pushing a flurry of legislative activity, known as the “100 Hours Agenda” to help working families during the first 100 hours of the new Congress.

Today, Democrats are expected to move on ethics reform, voting to ban gifts from lobbyists. Then, on Tuesday, the 100 hours is set to officially begin. AFSCME is part of the Change America Now campaign that will be mobilizing people across the country in support of specific economic elements of the agenda.

1. Minimum Wage — The House will next vote to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over two years, helping nearly 15 million American workers who make the minimum wage or slightly above it. The federal minimum wage stagnated at $5.15 an hour for years under the Republican Congress.
2. Prescription Drugs — Democrats will then vote to allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, meaning lower drug prices for seniors. Big pharmaceutical companies opposed this, and Republicans complied during their time in power.

These and other agenda items are the reason why AFSCME members across the country worked so hard to put new leadership in Congress. You can help pass the 100 Hours Agenda by sending a message to your congressperson today.

Posted in General

 Print This Post  Email This Post