Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) will be a special guest at “The #PeoplesPlatform: an API Agenda,” a multimedia program on Sunday, Jan. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the JACCC, 244 S. San Pedro St., Garden Room B, Little Tokyo. Light refreshments served.

Chu will inform the public about her support for a package of current legislation called the “People’s Platform.” The eight bills are attempts to address some of the issues important to Asian Pacific Islanders as well as to point towards a bold new vision of what APIs and all Americans want for the U.S.

The bills are:

HR 676 – Medicare-for- All. Free healthcare for all from cradle to grave.

HR 1880 – College for All Act, 2017. Free public education.

HR 15 – Raise the Wage Act. $15 per hour minimum wage.

HR 771 – Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act of 2017.

HR 2840 – Automatic Voter Registration Act. State DMVs automatically register all eligible voters.

HR 3227 – Justice is Not For Sale Act of 2017. Bans private prisons & camp; detention centers for immigrants.

HR 1144 – Inclusive Prosperity Act. “Wall St Tax.” A tax of 50 cents for $100 of Wall St. trades to raise $300B a year.

HR 2242 – Keep It in the Ground Act of 2017. Bans new fossil fuel drilling on leased federal lands and offshore shelf.

“Some folks think these bills have no chance with the current Congress and Trump. But when large numbers of grassroots folks let our elected officials know what we want, it creates a dialogue in our communities and encourages political parties to consider adopting these themes,” said David Monkawa, a member of the Progressive Asian Network for Action. “The lessons of 2016 show that a bold progressive platform can bring out youth and the new majority of independent voters to the ballot box to defeat Trump in 2020.”

“These bills will benefit Asian Pacific Islanders locally. Korean Americans have the least access to health insurance than any group in the country,” said Una Lee Jost, Progressive Asian Network for Action. Voter registration of APIs lags far behind in the San Gabriel Valley. Refineries that explode and pollute threaten people in the South Bay where many APIs live. The key bills like Medicare-for-All consistently poll high across party and racial lines. The platform can launch a discussion towards the beginnings of a national API “people’s agenda” to unite our communities and Nation.”

The package of bills was initiated by the “Summer for Progress” campaign in 2017 and adopted by many local organizations.

Organizations supporting the even (partial list): Los Angeles County Asian American Pacific Democrats club, K-12 Educational News Network, Asian Pacific Islander Christians for Social Justice, Los Angeles Greens, Eastside Progressives

The Progressive Asian Network for Action is an independent grassroots organization that mobilizes Asian Pacific Islanders and allies to advance the interests of the 99%. See Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/progressiveasians.

For more information: [email protected] or contact the following: Progressive Asian Network for Action: David Monkawa, (626) 999-7528 or Una Lee Jost, (626) 344-8021.

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