In Support of the Federal Anti-Racism in Public Health Act, the NY Hero Act, and the NY Excluded Workers Fund

On January 27, 2021, DID membership approved a Resolution to support the Chinatown Working Group Plan.

Read the Resolution

The following letter was included with the resolution:

January 27, 2021

To:
Hon. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senators
Hon. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, and Nydia Velázquez, U.S. Representatives
Hon. Brian Kavanagh, Brad Hoylman, and Andrea Stewart-Cousins, NYS Senators
Hon. Yuh-Line Niou, Deborah Glick, Harvey Epstein, and Carl Heastie, NYS Assembly

Dear Federal and State Elected Officials for Lower Manhattan,

Enclosed please find a Resolution approved by Downtown Independent Democrats General Membership on January 27, 2021:

In Support of the Federal Anti-Racism in Public Health Act,
the NY Hero Act, and the NY Excluded Workers Fund

New York City’s Department of Health acknowledges that racism is a public health crisis. Disparities in treatment by health care providers, police, and society lead to negative health impacts on Black and brown New Yorkers. While these inequities—from infant mortality for the young to decreased life expectancy for the old—have long existed, the ongoing pandemic made them both more urgent and more apparent. Further, our community is afflicted with unique, additional racial disparities in 9/11-related health outcomes. 

The Federal Anti-Racism in Public Act addresses major health-equity barriers caused by centuries of systemic racism. 

The NY Hero Act S.1034 and The Excluded Workers Fund address health-equity barriers caused by systemic racism in the response to Covid-19.

DID calls upon our Federal and State representatives to pass these bills; create a Law Enforcement Violence Prevention Program within the City’s Department of Health and expand its Race to Justice Program aiming to give decision-making access to impacted communities.

Sincerely,

Richard Corman
President, Downtown Independent Democrats

Enclosure

cc: Hon. Andrew Cuomo, NYS Governor
Hon. Bill de Blasio, NYC Mayor
Hon. Jumaane Williams, NYC Public Advocate
Hon. Scott Stringer, NYC Comptroller
Cy Vance, Manhattan District Attorney

Dermot F. Shea, NYC Police Commissioner
Hon. Corey Johnson, NYC Council Speaker
Hon. Margaret Chin, NYC Council Member
Hon. Carlina Rivera, NYC Council Member