For Immediate Release: March 9, 2024/Press Contact: Eleazar Meléndez, 212-729-6672
Miami, Florida — Miami Freedom Project wishes to recognize the forward-looking vision that President Joe Biden set out in his State of the Union address last night. The speech laid out the President’s road map to creating a stronger middle class, making sure families are not only safe but thriving, providing relief from some of the worst abuses from giant corporations, tackling the existential climate crisis, pushing back on the toxic rhetoric directed at immigrants, and defending civil rights and individual freedoms.
“The President’s vision for America is one of fundamental fairness. Where a person gets a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work, where children, the elderly and those in need are not left behind, and where wild success for a few doesn’t come at the cost of misery for most. It is a vision rooted in common sense, respect and strength— domestically and abroad,” said Ana Sofia Pelaez, executive director of Miami Freedom Project.
Among the policy priorities of interest to Miami Freedom Project, Biden proposed:
- renewing a push to pass a bipartisan immigration law, including a more workable asylum system, a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, while pushing against attempts by the right to demonize immigrants, separate families at the border, or ban people from entering America due to their faith;
- lowering healthcare costs by extending the wildly popular price cap on insulin for seniors (currently at $35 per month) to all Americans, expanding the federal government’s negotiating power to bring down the price of in-demand pharmaceuticals, and further expanding Obamacare;
- legislation that would defend reproductive rights, guarantee the right to in vitro fertilization nationwide, and support an existing bill that would codify into federal law the protections for women that existed until Roe v. Wade was overturned to guarantee decisions around a pregnancy are between a woman and her doctor;
- reducing the federal deficit while safeguarding Social Security by making sure multi-millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share of taxes, including a 25% minimum tax rate for billionaires;
- standing against corporations abuses, including by going after “junk fees”, capping late fees, and taking on companies that practice “shrinkflation by selling consumers increasingly smaller portions of long-standing products (pass the chips) for the same price;
- lowering the cost of housing by eliminating title insurance fees on federally backed home loans to bring closing costs and providing funding to renovate 2 million affordable housing units;
- expanding the manufacturing sector through a renewed commitment to “Buy American” and a higher minimum wage, and historic support for unions;
- building a “soft landing” economic recovery that create new jobs every month while making sure inflation is controlled;
- making sure the infrastructure investments already in federal law benefit all kinds of communities — urban, suburban, rural and tribal;
- expanding the most ambitious climate agenda by putting tens of thousands of more young people to work in climate jobs;
- commiting to public safety, through supporting local policing, and passing a new ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as universal background checks;
- tackling novel challenges brought on by technology, such as artificial intelligence-fueled fraud and predatory behavior against children online, in a bipartisan way.
- investing in education by providing pre-school access to 3- and 4-year olds, expanding extracurricular tutoring, investing in higher education, and giving teachers a raise;
All in all, the speech set out a vision for a stronger and more resilient country.
