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Today the #NoShutoffs coalition handed @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris a mandate for the next administration: Implement a nationwide moratorium on shutoffs for water, energy, & broadband AND invest in utility justice in their next 4 years.
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/energy-justice/pdfs/Biden-Transition-Letter-2020-12-04.pdf
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/energy-justice/pdfs/Biden-Transition-Letter-2020-12-04.pdf
As we see new case surges of #COVID19 across the country, people need access to water to wash their hands and keep themselves safe. We need electricity & heat to weather the winter months of isolation precautions. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/oct/28/us-unemployment-crisis-mounts-for-thousands
Schools and work continue to operate online. With eviction hearings being held by zoom, lacking access to the internet can mean losing your home. These utility shutoffs disproportionately impact our BIPOC community members. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/23/covid-exacerbates-us-digital-divide-for-students-without-inter
All this, and states continue to lift moratoria, putting people in serious danger. This patchwork response in the interest of utilities, not living people, is unacceptable. https://time.com/nextadvisor/in-the-news/utility-bill-deferment-ending/
We need the next administration to take decisive action. Nobody should be without a roof over their heads, and the utilities that allow them to stay safe and distanced from others. We need @JoeBiden to implement a national moratorium on utility shutoffs NOW.
This shutoff crisis is an acute outcome chronic problems of unaffordable bills, climate change, crumbling infrastructure, & privatization of basic services. That's why we call on the next admin to go beyond a moratorium, & make utility justice a priority over the next four years.
There is much to be done in the fight for utility justice, we need @JoeBiden to champion federal actions that can make sure our utilities are affordable, public, and climate resilient:
: Investing in a #GreenNewDeal to spur renewable distributed energy generation owned by the public & communities to provide long-term energy and climate resilience for all families & establish energy affordability.
: Advancing legislation like the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act and the Emergency Broadband Connections Act to support digital equity, fund public broadband options, require pricing transparency and strengthen the FCC’s Lifeline program.
: Champion the passage of the WATER Act as part of an infrastructure stimulus legislation to restore the federal government’s commitment to funding drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and promote universal access to safe and affordable public water.
Our allies are mighty with the grassroots across the United States fighting day in and out to care for their communities amidst shutoffs. We have amazing Congressional partners like @RashidaTlaib @SenSherrodBrown @SenJeffMerkley & many more!
