Jayapal: People Won’t Get Infrastructure Jobs Without Free Community College and Trade School

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “MTP Daily,” Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) argued that we have to pass both the bipartisan and reconciliation bills because if jobs are created through an infrastructure bill, but “we don’t allow people to get free community college and trade school education, they don’t get to get those jobs.”

Jayapal said, “So, listen, the deal has always been the Democratic agenda, President Biden’s agenda that he laid out to the House in February and that we all ran on and won on. And so, what we have always said is, progressives are absolutely committed to delivering on the entire agenda. Because if we create jobs through an infrastructure package, that’s great. But if we don’t allow women to get child care, they don’t get to get those jobs, if we don’t allow people to get free community college and trade school education, they don’t get to get those jobs. So, if we are going to build back better, we have to do all of these things at the same time. Because the urgency is so real. The need for child care, the need for paid leave, health care, and of course, addressing climate change, given the IPCC’s report that just came out, this is not something that can wait around. So, we want to deliver both bills to the president in September and have him sign them into law so we deliver for the American people.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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