# Understanding the "Third Reconstruction" Resolution

This is a congressional resolution that lays out a sweeping vision for addressing poverty and inequality in America. Think of it as a statement of values and priorities rather than a law that immediately changes things—it's Congress saying "here's what we think should happen" and committing to work toward these goals over the next two years.

The resolution starts from a stark premise: roughly 140 million Americans are poor, low-income, or one emergency away from financial disaster. This includes about half of all children, 60% of Black Americans, and 64% of Latino Americans. The resolution argues these aren't individual failures but the result of unjust systems and policies that can be fixed through new laws. It connects poverty to other issues like racism, lack of healthcare, environmental damage, and military spending, arguing these problems are all linked and need to be tackled together.

The resolution then commits Congress to pursue specific changes over two years. On jobs and income, it calls for raising the minimum wage to a "living wage," guaranteeing the right to form unions, creating a federal jobs program focused on green energy and public services, and expanding unemployment insurance and paid family leave. On housing, it aims to end evictions, cancel past-due rent and mortgages, and expand affordable housing. It also calls for free pre-K through college education, universal healthcare through a single-payer system, and debt relief for student loans, medical bills, and other household debts. These changes would directly affect working people's daily lives by increasing wages, reducing costs for education and healthcare, and providing more job opportunities.

The resolution also addresses voting rights by calling for stronger protections against voter suppression, making election day a national holiday, allowing mail-in voting everywhere, and ending gerrymandering. It commits to immigration reform that would close ICE detention facilities, reunite separated families, and extend welfare benefits to immigrants regardless of status. On environmental issues, it calls for massive investment in green energy and infrastructure, particularly in poor communities. Finally, it proposes cutting military spending by at least 10%, ending endless wars, and using that money for domestic programs instead. It also calls for fair taxation on corporations and wealthy individuals, including repealing recent tax cuts and creating new taxes on financial transactions and wealth.

Third Reconstruction: Fully addressing poverty and low wages from the bottom up.

Lee, Barbara

 <p>This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that legislation and policies that address poverty, low wages, and related issues should be prioritized.</p> <p>Among other priorities, the resolution commits to</p> <ul> <li>updating the poverty measure;</li> <li>raising the minimum wage;</li> <li>expanding unemployment insurance;</li> <li>ensuring that all workers receive paid family and medical leave;</li> <li>implementing a federal jobs guarantee; </li> <li>guaranteeing safe and quality housing, a right to water, high-quality public education, and quality health care for all; </li> <li>enacting relief from household and personal debt that cannot be paid; </li> <li>ensuring that state, local, and tribal governments are adequately funded; </li> <li>expanding and protecting the right to vote;</li> <li>eliminating persistent racial inequities;</li> <li> protecting the constitutional rights of assembly and free speech;</li> <li>enacting comprehensive and just immigration reform;</li> <li>ensuring all the rights of Native and Indigenous peoples and tribal nations;</li> <li>transforming the economy into a green renewable energy economy;</li> <li>demilitarizing U.S. foreign policy, borders, and policing;</li> <li>enacting fair taxes on corporations and the wealthy; </li> <li>using deficit spending to meet pressing needs; and</li> <li>encouraging states and cities to enact policies that follow the direction provided by this resolution.</li> </ul>