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Thursday, May 13, 2021

CONTENT TO PROMOTE

NEWS OF THE DAY

1. DNC and State Parties Announce Historic Agreement

1. Party of Trump: Republicans Vote to Oust Cheney for Telling the Truth About the 2020 Election

1. Historic Progress on Getting Americans Back to Work

MESSAGE OF THE DAY

1. Help is Here: American Rescue Plan Delivers Billions to State and Local Governments

1. The American Families Plan Invests in Our Kids, Families, and Economic Future

1. Getting Back on Track: President Biden Sets New Vaccine Goal

1. Republicans Don’t Want Solutions on Immigration — They Want a Political Crisis

1. President Biden’s American Jobs Plan

CONTENT TO PROMOTE

@DNCWarRoom: Don’t be fooled by the “Leader” in front of Kevin McCarthy’s name. We all know who controls the @GOP, and the @DNCWarRoom is making sure everyone else does too.

@TheDemocrats: Excited to announce we’re making the largest investment in Democratic state parties in history.

At a minimum, we’re investing $23 million in state parties to build the critical infrastructure we need to win in 2022 and beyond.

NEWS OF THE DAY 

1. DNC and State Parties Announce Historic Agreement 

• Yesterday, the DNC and state parties across the country announced a historic four-year agreement that will guarantee more investment into Democratic state parties and grassroots infrastructure than ever before. 

• This investment will provide a minimum of $23 million to state parties as part of Democrats’ 2022 midterm strategy, and creates a first-of-its-kind program to focus additional investments in historically red states to build on Democrats’ 

•  strategy.

• The agreement will establish a brand-new, seven-figure “Red State Fund” to put Republicans on defense and build tailored programs for traditionally Republican states. 

• The Red State Fund includes $2 million in direct investments and grants for states that meet two of the following criteria: no Democratic senator or governor, less than 25% of the congressional delegation are Democrats, and a supermajority of Republicans in their state legislature.

• The contract also includes a data sharing agreement that increases investment in down-ballot races, solidifies another four years of historic investment in Democratic data, and anchors the DNC and state parties as the central hub of the Democratic data ecosystem.

Additional investments in the agreement include:

• $15.5 Million for State Partnership Program (SPP): The new agreement increases monthly SPP funding for 50 state parties and DC by 25% to fund critical party infrastructure including staff, tools, and programming in the states.

• $5.5 Million for State Party Innovation Fund Grants: These grants will ensure innovation and early organizing by putting more boots on the ground throughout the country to help elect Democrats up and down the ticket in 2022. The program includes $5 million in funding for all 50 state parties plus the District of Columbia, along with an additional $500,000 for Dems Abroad and the territories. These competitive grants will primarily be used to hire staff in state to develop and implement innovative programs tailored for each state.

• Reestablishes the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund: The agreement is contingent on the Democratic state parties rejoining the joint fundraising agreement that propelled the DNC to record-breaking major donor fundraising over the last four years, and allows the DNC to collect up to $875,000 per individual per year. 

2. Party of Trump: Republicans Vote to Oust Cheney for Telling the Truth About the 2020 Election

• Yesterday, the Republican Party went all-in to fully transform itself into the party of Donald Trump.

• House Republicans are making clear their only priority is to defend Trump and his Big Lie, despite the deadly insurrection on the Capitol and Trump’s dismal approval ratings that the NRCC tried to keep quiet. 

• Kevin McCarthy has completely turned over the leadership of his caucus to extremists and conspiracy theorists, and the Republican Party’s dumpster fire has now become a full-blown inferno.

• While the Republican Party has chosen to throw our democracy by the wayside, President Biden and Democrats are hard at work undoing the damage of the Trump administration, delivering on their promises, and getting our country back on track. 

3. Historic Progress on Getting Americans Back to Work

• We have known that climbing out of the deep economic recession we are in would not be simple, easy, or a straight line – 22 million American lost their jobs during the pandemic.  

• But let's be clear: President Biden’s economic plan is working. 

  • For the fifth straight week, weekly unemployment claims have hit the lowest levels since the pandemic began.

  • Since President Biden has taken office, we have created more than 1.5 million jobs in the country – the most jobs created in the first 100 days of any president. 

  • In the three months before taking office, the country was creating roughly 60,000 jobs a month – but now it’s creating around 500,000 jobs a month. 

  • This isn’t just success, it’s historic success – and we are continuing to move in the right direction. 

• This week, President Biden announced additional steps to get Americans back to work, including removing barriers that are preventing Americans from returning safely to good-paying work, and taking steps to make it easier for employers to hire new workers.

• The administration is getting critical funds from the American Rescue Plan out the door, accelerating the reopening of child care centers and small businesses, encouraging employers to pay a fair wage, and empowering employers to rehire and retain workers. 

• We'll insist that the law is followed with respect to unemployment benefits – but we’re not going to turn our back on our fellow Americans by cutting and denying unemployment benefits to families who are just trying to put food on the table and keep a roof over their head. 

• Steps President Biden Is Taking to Help Americans Return to Work

  • Accelerating the Provision of Assistance to Hard-Hit Child Care Providers to Get More Parents Back to Work: The Department of Health and Human Services is releasing guidance so that states can start to get funding to child care providers immediately, leveraging the $24 billion in the American Rescue Plan to stabilize the child care industry and get parents back to work.   

  • Directing the Secretary of Labor to Safely Expand States’ Reemployment Services: The president will direct the Secretary of Labor to issue guidance to states to quickly and safely – consistent with CDC and OSHA guidance – expand their Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment meetings and individualized career counseling – which were scaled down appropriately due to COVID -- which help workers match to good jobs.

  • Supporting Hard-Hit Restaurants and Bars: The administration is sending the first grants under the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund to 16,000 hard-hit restaurants across the country.   

  • Providing States and Localities with the Resources They Need to Help Return Americans to Work: The Treasury is making available the first tranche the $350 billion in relief for states and localities – making it possible to get teachers, first responders, sanitation workers, and more back to work. 

  • Helping Employers Rehire and Retain Workers Through the Extended and Expanded Employee Retention Credit (ERC): The administration will continue increasing awareness around these beneficial programs, and the Treasury will help employers, especially small business, access the ERC so they can bring back employees sooner and keep them on the job.   

  • Clarifying Rules of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program: The Department of Labor will reissue guidance that makes clear the existing law is that workers may not turn down a job and continue to receive benefits.   

  • Directing States to Reinstate Work Search Requirements: The president is directing the Secretary of Labor to work with the states, as health and safety conditions allow, to put in place appropriate work search requirements as the economy continues to rebound, vaccinations increase, and the pandemic is brought under control.

MESSAGE OF THE DAY

4. Help is Here: American Rescue Plan Delivers Billions to State and Local Governments

• This week, the Biden administration announced that it was delivering the first tranche of $350 billion in relief to state and local governments as part of the American Rescue Plan.

• This critical funding will help pay teachers, police officers, and firefighters, bring back jobs and reopen small businesses, address budget shortfalls due to the pandemic, fund critical projects, and more.

• Republicans must explain why they voted against this critical funding for their states and helping millions of Americans suffering from the effects of the public health and economic crises.

• While some Republicans are touting the American Rescue Plan’s benefits to their constituents, even though every single one of them voted against it, the American people know that help is here thanks to President Biden and Democrats.

5. The American Families Plan Invests in Our Kids, Families, and Economic Future 

[Fact sheet here]

• President Biden unveiled the American Families Plan to invest in our kids, our families, and our economic future – because when American families do well, our nation thrives.

• Right now, too many Americans are struggling to meet basic needs and cover basic expenses. An economy that fails so many of us is not only unfair, it’s unsustainable.

• The American Families Plan is a once-in-a-generation investment in the foundations of middle-class prosperity: education, health care, and child care. And it is supported by a majority of Americans.

• Beyond helping American families meet the needs of today, this plan powers the innovation and growth of tomorrow through an historic expansion in access to quality education and child care.

• The American Families Plan will make education more affordable and expand opportunity though transformational investments. It will:

• Provide universal access to high-quality, free Pre-K for 3- and 4- year-olds.

• Make two years of community college free for all Americans.

• Lower college cost for low- and middle- income students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MCIs).

• Increase the maximum Pell Grant award by approximately $1,400 and allow DREAMers to access the funding.

• Invest $9 billion to strengthen teacher pipelines and address shortages, increasing the number of teachers of color and supporting the growth of all teachers. 

• The American Families Plan will provide economic security to families – ensuring everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the economy and care for themselves and their families. It will:

• Ensure no one earning under 150% of state median income has to pay more than 7% of their income on high-quality care for children under 5.

• Provide comprehensive paid family and medical leave, allowing workers to take the time they need to care for themselves or loved ones

• Expand nutrition assistance, school meal programs, and summer meal programs for children and families.

• Invest $1 billion in maternal health.

• The American Families Plan will expand tax credits that help workers and families – a powerful tool that can help build economic prosperity. It will:

• Make the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit permanent, providing up to $4,000 to cover expenses related to care for a child under age 13,

• Make the Earned Income Tax Credit Expansion for Childless Workers permanent, benefitting 17 million low-wage workers, many of whom are essential and child care workers.

• Extend the Child Tax Credits increases in the American Rescue Plan for another five years – increasing tax credits for child under 6 from $2,000 to $3,600 and for child over 6 from $2,000 to $3,000

• Lower health care costs by making the American Rescue Plan’s health insurance premium reductions permanent, saving families an average of $50 per person per month.

• The American Families Plan is an ambitious, once-in-a-generation investment to rebuild the middle class and invest in America’s future.

• Alongside the American Families Plan, President Biden is proposing a tax reform agenda that rewards work – not wealth.

• The agenda includes reforms to the tax code to ensure that the wealthy will play by the same rules as everyone else. The resulting revenue will pay for the American Families Plan investment in education and childcare, tax relief for American families, and reduction in child poverty.

6. Getting Back on Track: President Biden Sets New Vaccine Goal 

• Last week, President Biden set a new national vaccination goal: 70 percent of adult Americans with at least one shot and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated by July 4. That amounts to about 100 million shots over 60 days.

• Thanks to a whole-of-government response, we have made significant progress toward our ultimate goal of getting back to a more normal lifestyle.

• The Biden administration delivered 220 million shots in the first 100 days, more than 105 million Americans are fully vaccinated, and more than 56 percent of adult Americans have at least one shot.

• Importantly, the successful vaccination program has contributed to a steep decline in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, across all age groups.

• We are now far ahead of where anyone thought we would be in our war against the virus.

7. Republicans Don’t Want Solutions on Immigration — They Want a Political Crisis

• President Biden has made clear that reforming our immigration system to be more humane, safe, and orderly is a top priority.

• While the American people support reform, and Democrats are working toward solutions, Republicans are not interested in solving the problem, and all they want to do is play politics.

  • A recent report revealed that Republicans saw the challenges coming at the border and plotted ways to use the issue to sabotage President Biden and politicize the lives of children to try to win elections.

• When President Biden assumed office, America’s broken immigration system had been weaponized by Trump, with cruel policies that ripped kids from the arms of their parents. Republicans had four years to fix the immigration system and only made it worse as Trump spent his time sabotaging the system and making cruelty the point.

  • The fact is that the largest increase in migration in decades began in the spring of 2020 — following Trump’s cruel and inhumane family separation policy, which clearly did not serve as a deterrent to migration.

• The Biden administration is bringing order and humanity back to the immigration system.

  • The Biden administration announced that it would raise the refugee cap to 62,500 and plans to raise it even higher for fiscal year 2022.

  • The Biden administration has begun to reunite families separated under Trump.

  • The administration restarted the Central American Minors (CAM) program that Trump terminated to provide a safe and orderly means for children to reunite with their parents in the United States.  

  • USAID leveraged more than $85 million to support vocational training, education, and employment opportunities for at-risk youth, and increased food security and incomes for vulnerable communities. 

  • The administration continues to send messages to the region that people should not make the dangerous journey north and that we are establishing protection programs in the region.

• The American people support commonsense immigration measures.

  • There is overwhelming support for a path to citizenship and responsibly managing the border.

  • Just like the COVID package, Republicans are ignoring the will of the American people and their constituents and refusing to solve the problem.

  • Fear-mongering backfired in the 2018 midterms, resulting in huge Republican losses, and it failed in 2020. Voters supported the president’s fair, orderly and humane approach. 

• The president has a plan.

  • Republicans have nothing except cruelty, chaos. The president believes that we can have a well-managed border and also treat people fairly and humanely.  

  • The president has laid out a clear vision that includes: 

    • Investing in Central America to stabilize economies, address violence, and strengthen governments and civil society; 

    • Establishing refugee processing in the region and creating other legal channels for people to migrate so they don’t have to make the dangerous journey north; 

    • Strengthening other countries’ asylum systems; 

    • More technology at the border and repairing crumbling infrastructure at ports of entry; 

    • Providing more asylum judges to deal with the backlog and efficiently and fairly process asylum claims.

8. President Biden’s American Jobs Plan 

• President Biden believes this is the moment to reimagine and rebuild a new American economy. The American Jobs Plan will create millions of good-paying jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to out-compete China.

  • There is no reason why the United States should rank 13th globally in overall infrastructure quality and is outspent by competitors on research and development.

• This is a once-in-a-century capital investment in America to not only meet our current infrastructure needs – like rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges and making sure every American has access to broadband and clean water – but also investing in research and development, so that we can make 21st century products in the U.S. and sell them around the world.

  • Unlike investments of the past - we are not going to leave behind communities that have been systematically excluded for generations, including communities of color and rural communities. 

  • Our investments will allow us to take on the climate crisis and move to a clean energy economy. 

  • President Biden proposed a tax code that rewards work, not wealth, and pays for this agenda.

• A majority of Americans support raising corporate taxes to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, and another poll also shows that a majority of Americans support every key provision presented to them in the American Jobs Plan.

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Democratic National Committee, 430 S Capitol St SE, Washington, DC 20003, USA