The Change.org petition urges Congress to hold a vote on The Blueprint for a Better America in exchange for voter support in the Georgia run-off elections.

ATLANTA, GA, US, December 29, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The American Union, a block of non-partisan voters represented by Phoenix Congress 2020 PAC, has launched a Change.org petition demanding an up-or-down vote on its crowdsourced legislation, the Blueprint for a Better America. The Blueprint is a ready-to-pass legislative package containing transformative policies which will end poverty, end mass incarceration, and end the endless wars. The group bills it as "the answer to 2020's problems."

In 2020, the pandemic caused economic harm to tens of millions of Americans, pushing an estimated eight million into poverty. Universal basic income (UBI), an unconditional amount of money given to each citizen on a regular basis, is a key part of the legislation. An estimated 38 million Americans are currently living in poverty, about a third of them children. With UBI, every single American would be lifted up above the poverty line.

In May, the murder of George Floyd drew international attention to systemic racism in the criminal justice system. Protests were held in many cities around the country, calling for change, but no major reforms have taken place. The proposed legislative package contains many police and prison reforms, as well as an end to the federal war on drugs.

Just before Christmas, Congress passed a 5,593 page legislative package that was presented to the House and Senate for an immediate vote, with limited debate and no opportunity for amendments. The American Union demands the same treatment for the Blueprint for a Better America, whose 159 pages have been publicly available since October. With the same language before both chambers of Congress, the gridlock between the House and the Senate can be avoided.

The American Union is asking Americans to join its cause and sign the petition endorsing immediate passage of this legislation, which contains many popular policies. Voters who sign the petition can also offer a rebuke to the two-party system that, according to the American Union, has caused inaction in Congress for decades.

As a block of swing voters, the American Union projects that 2% of voters will be decisive in determining the outcome of next week’s run-off elections in Georgia. That leverage over the balance of power in the US Senate can be used to prod Congress to end poverty, end mass incarceration, and end the endless wars.

The petition demands that the 116th Congress, which ends on January 3, 2021, hold a vote on the Blueprint. The party that is most cooperative in advancing this legislation can earn the endorsement and votes of the American Union on January 5, and control of the US Senate.

“Party politics are ruining America,” said former state legislator and Phoenix Congress 2020 PAC founder Brian Winters. “For years, Congress has been mired in partisan gridlock, unable even to pass legislation that has wide support among the American people. We created a legislative package, the Blueprint for a Better America, that combines these popular policies to address real problems in 2020. And now, we’re inviting citizens to sign our petition and tell Congress that they won’t play their partisan game anymore. We demand that our leaders pass the Blueprint if they want to keep their jobs.”

The Blueprint was inspired by the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr., Winters explained, and its three principle policy pillars address King’s “triple evils” of poverty, racism, and militarism by ending poverty, ending mass incarceration, and ending the endless wars. The Blueprint for a Better America is available to read or download on the group’s website.

To end poverty, the Blueprint will implement universal basic income, styled as American Union jobs. Adults will receive an unconditional payment of $300/week, plus $100/week for children. This would be funded through a combination of a value added tax (VAT), fee-and-dividends on pollutants, and Congress’ constitutional power to create debt-free money. The American Union jobs program will also offer a public healthcare option, free digital bank accounts, and 18 weeks of paid family leave.

To end mass incarceration, the legislation will reform the criminal justice system and end the federal war on drugs, letting states set their own drug policies. Surplus military equipment would no longer be available to local police departments, cash bail and qualified immunity would be reformed, and outreach programs would be available in communities damaged by the war on drugs, funded by a 12% tax on the sale of ‘recreational intoxicating products,’ as formerly illegal drugs are euphemistically referred to. In the prison system, federal parole would be reestablished and sentencing reviews would be available after 10 years of incarceration.

To end the endless wars, the Blueprint will repeal the authorizations for use of military force in the Middle East that were passed nearly 2 decades ago. It will also diminish military spending, close the Guantanamo Bay military prison, and require local referendums to be held at the hundreds of foreign military bases around the world. "If the local people say they want us to leave," explained Winters, "we will respect their decision."

“The policies in the Blueprint have wide support among Americans,” continued Winters. “Many of the policies are supported by 60% or more of the population. So why won’t Congress enact the people's will? That’s their job, and they are failing us. By signing this petition and voting with the American Union, we can force Congress to listen and act. We can end poverty, end mass incarceration, and end the endless wars.”

All US citizens, even those not registered or ineligible to vote, can sign the Change.org petition.

Brian Winters
Phoenix Congress 2020
+1 603-858-4103
email us here

An American Union