WASHINGTON, DC- Today, Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), and Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV), the co-chairs of the Ways and Means Committee’s Racial Equity Initiative (REI), released the following statement applauding the equity-focused provisions in the TAA Modernization Act of 2021, legislation that Committee Democrats introduced yesterday:
“The Racial Equity Initiative was created earlier this year to ensure racial and economic justice is a central tenet in the Ways and Means Committee’s legislation, and the Initiative’s work is already on prominent display in the many equity-focused provisions included in today’s new trade bills. Our country’s trade programs are premised on serving workers and expanding economic opportunities, and we are pleased that this legislation pays particular attention to the needs of workers of color who have historically been excluded from these economic opportunities. By reaching U.S. workers in their native languages, engaging with training providers that have experience working with diverse underserved communities, and conducting specialized outreach in these communities, more racially- and economically-diverse workers will be able to participate in crucial trade programs. This legislation is a major reaffirmation of our commitment to equitable and inclusive trade policy. Under Chairman Neal and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Blumenauer’s direction, the Ways and Means Committee is leading on trade policy that lives out our values and creates economic opportunities for underserved communities in the United States."
