At the Progressive Central 2024 conference in Chicago, just blocks away from the Democratic National Convention, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Pramila Jayapal delivered impassioned speeches highlighting the urgent need to confront the growing crisis of economic inequality in the United States. Hosted by Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and supported by several other progressive organizations, the event served as a platform for leading voices in the progressive movement to address the critical issues facing the nation as the 2024 elections loom.
Pramila Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, opened her address by celebrating the accomplishments of progressives over the past few years. “We’ve been able, over the last eight years, to build a caucus to almost 100 members strong. That is almost half of the Democratic caucus,” Jayapal noted, emphasizing the influence progressives now wield within the party. She highlighted key legislative victories, including the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which, although a scaled-down version of the Build Back Better initiative, still represents the largest investment in climate action in U.S. history.
Jayapal urged attendees not to become complacent. “We are getting ready to win in November, and when we do, we will accomplish so much more,” she said, calling for continued activism and organizing to ensure further progress on issues like climate change, healthcare, and economic justice. Jayapal also acknowledged the importance of getting “big money out of politics,” a longstanding goal of the progressive movement, which remains critical to achieving broader systemic change.
However, it was Bernie Sanders who delivered the most sobering message of the conference. While acknowledging the progress made on social issues such as racial equality, LGBTQ rights, and gender equality, Sanders turned the spotlight on what he described as America’s unspoken crisis: economic inequality. “If you think back over the last number of decades, we as a nation have made good progress, significant progress in breaking down racial barriers…in breaking down sexism in this country,” Sanders said. “But there was one issue that progressives weren’t only not gaining ground, but also losing, and that is the economic struggle.”
Sanders pointed to the growing gap between worker productivity and wages as a key indicator of the deepening economic divide. “Over the last 50 years…there’s been a radical increase in worker productivity. Guess what? Today, the average American worker in inflation-adjusted income is earning less than he or she did years ago. Have you ever heard that discussion on television?” Sanders asked the audience, underscoring the media’s complicity in ignoring the issue of economic inequality.
The statistics are stark. According to recent data, income and wealth inequality in the United States are at their highest levels since the Great Depression. The top 1% of Americans now own more wealth than the bottom 90% combined, while the median wage has stagnated, and millions of workers continue to live paycheck to paycheck. Sanders argued that this widening gap is not only unsustainable but also a direct result of policies that favor the wealthy and powerful at the expense of ordinary Americans.
“The media has been largely complicit in helping corporate and oligarchic interests,” Sanders continued. “Sixty percent of our people, in the richest country in the history of the world, [are] living paycheck to paycheck, but the media has decided that we’re ‘not allowed to be outraged’ by that fact.” Sanders’ critique of the media highlights a broader issue within American society: the lack of serious discussion about the economic struggles faced by the majority of the population.
Sanders also addressed the role of big money in politics, which he sees as a significant barrier to addressing economic inequality. “Both political parties are significantly controlled by big money interests,” Sanders stated, pointing to the influence of corporate donors on both the Democratic and Republican establishments. This influence, he argued, makes it difficult to pass meaningful reforms that would benefit working people, such as raising the minimum wage, expanding healthcare access, and ensuring fair taxation of the wealthy and corporations.
Despite these challenges, Sanders expressed optimism about the future of the progressive movement, particularly the resurgence of trade unions in the U.S. “We’re seeing a rebirth of the trade union movement in America,” Sanders said, noting the recent wave of successful unionization efforts across the country. He emphasized the crucial role that unions play in advocating for workers’ rights and reducing economic inequality, calling on progressives to continue supporting these efforts.
Looking ahead to the 2024 election, Sanders stressed the importance of defeating Donald Trump while also holding the Democratic Party accountable to its progressive base. “Immediately, and it goes without saying, we have to do all that we can to defeat Trump and elect Kamala and Tim Walz. But we also have to understand, once they are elected, we need to continue our efforts to build and strengthen the progressive movement,” Sanders said.
Sanders’ call to action is clear: progressives must remain vigilant and continue pushing for systemic change, even after the election. The fight against economic inequality, he argued, is far from over, and it will require sustained activism, organizing, and political engagement to achieve the transformative changes needed to create a more just and equitable society.
“So that’s what our struggle is,” Sanders concluded. “And it’s a big struggle, because you’re taking on the corporate class, you’re taking on the oligarchy, you’re taking on the Democratic establishment, you’re taking on the Republican establishment.”
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