Join Oregon PSR in calling on Congress to pass an economic stimulus package that doesn't reward polluters, exacerbate the climate change crisis, worsen environmental injustice, or fail to address the critical needs of workers and their families.
Please sign the petition created by PSR to send the following message to Congress:
I'm writing with great urgency to ask you to provide a quick and bold response to the COVID-19 health crisis, while ensuring that any economic stimulus package or supplemental funding in response to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic does not include any provisions that would exacerbate the climate change crisis and lead to even greater environmental injustice.
Specifically, I ask that you:
1. Provide local and state health departments with the funding needed to identify, prepare for, monitor, and respond to emerging threats, whether pandemics or climate change.
2. Support policies - such as paid sick leave and paid family medical leave - that allow workers to protect the health of their families and others in their community - not just in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19, but permanently.
3. Oppose any further government support for the fossil fuel industry, other than in the form of direct support to workers.
4. Direct stimulus funds towards the building of an energy and transportation infrastructure that uses clean, safe renewable energy and energy efficiency. In particular, funding for clean energy, drinking water, and green infrastructure projects should prioritize low-wealth communities, who are disproportionately burdened by the impacts of environmental pollution and climate change, and who face disproportionate barriers to healthcare access.
Thank you for your swift response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. If this crisis has taught us anything, it is that we must heed the warnings of our health and science experts. An effective policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic doesn't need to derail our efforts to build a healthier, safer, and more equitable society - if fact, if we heed the advice of these experts, many of the most effective measures we take in response to the pandemic can help address both crises.