Congress is headed for recess. Let’s remind them we’re counting on them to go big on solutions.

By Rahna Epting, MoveOn Executive Director

This week, our representatives in Congress are going back to their home states and districts for a two-week recess.

And this is precisely when We the People should be getting back in the game.

We gave it our all last year and despite the numerous massive hurdles that stood in our way, we successfully ushered Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Congressional democrats into power with a mandate that they tackle the epic crisis of the moment and govern boldly. So far, they’ve heeded the call in the passage of the American Rescue Plan. It will cut child poverty in half, extend unemployment benefits to American workers, deliver a $1,400 check to nearly every American and fund the ability to safely reopen our schools, among other major wins, but their job has only just begun.

When they return from their two-week recess, members of Congress will soon be debating another economic package, one that will address the next phase of COVID response, economic recovery. This is our moment to remind them why we elected them into office in the first place: we need the scope of our economic solutions to meet the scale of our economic crisis. Economic recovery means investments in good high paying quality jobs that help rebuild American infrastructure: green jobs, care jobs and finally providing immigrant essential workers a pathway to citizenship. Economic recovery also means investing in strengthening the foundation of our society: American democracy which has been so brutally attacked over the last year culminating into an attempted insurrection in January. Congress must hear our call and pass the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and finally provide the over 700,000 residents of Washington DC with statehood.

We must Build Back Bold. We must save our democracy. The American Rescue Plan is proof that we can do it. We are all we need to do it again.

These next two weeks, MoveOn, the Working Families Party, the Green New Deal Network, and dozens of progressive allies, will be holding #RecoveryRecess to tell our elected officials exactly that.

This pandemic has hit so many people so hard. And if we’re being honest, many people weren’t doing that great even before the pandemic.

The problems are big. So must be the solutions. Now is not a time we can settle for half measures or politics as usual in Washington. No, now is the moment we have to go big. Demand more. Fight harder.

The bill Congress just passed is great. But we didn’t put in all that work last year just for one bill. No, we put in the work to transform this country and that bill is just the beginning.

During #RecoveryRecess, we will tell our Members of Congress and Senators that we demand more of the big boldness they delivered in March. We will host socially-distanced and COVID-compliant events in person and online throughout recess from March 29 to April 11, including the “Time to THRIVE” Day of Action on March 31, led by the Green New Deal Network. We’ll urge Congress to pass a transformational economic recovery package that addresses climate, healthcare, jobs, and justice. And we’ll sound the alarm and call for Congress to repair our democracy so that it truly works for all of us.

We can do this. There is no limit to the progress we can make and the future we can build when we work together, use our collective voice, and take meaningful action. The wins of November, January, and March happened because of us.

We did that.

Now let’s do some more. Join us for #RecoveryRecess and tell your representatives we’re just getting started.