CLEVELAND — Demonstrators gathered in Cleveland Sunday afternoon to push for Congress to pass an infrastructure bill that includes public transit in the budget.
The groups of demonstrators arrived at Public Square around 1 p.m. and marched to Senator Sherrod Brown's office and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority headquarters.
Those involved are hoping a bill passes that would provide $10 billion for public transit.
"Senator Sherrod Brown is a powerful committee chairman and in a position to influence the final legislation, so we are calling on him to support better public transit," organizers said leading up to the march.
Groups that attended the march included:
- Sunrise hubs: Cleveland, CWRU, Oberlin University
- Clevelanders for Public Transit
- End Poverty Now Coalition
- Utilities For All
- Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
- ConnectedNEO
- Homeless Congress
- SEIU Local 1
- Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus
- The InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia (IRTF)
- Sierra Club - Single-Payer Action Network (SPAN)
- Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network
- West Shore FACT See Less
"We really need people out here sending that message to our representatives that this is the moment, this could be our last chance to pass federal climate legislation," said demonstrator Avi Horwitz with Sunrise Hub, Case Western Reserve University.
Senator Brown issued the following statement regarding Sunday's demonstration:
Senator Brown has been a fierce supporter of investing in our public transit systems. As Chairman of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, he authored the key provision to provide $10 billion for public transit in the Build Back Better bill, and he secured the largest-ever federal investment in public transit—$89.9 billion over five years – in the bipartisan infrastructure bill. This will provide Ohio transit agencies $1.286 billion in funding to improve systems, and make them more accessible and sustainable. The Senator will continue pressing his Republican colleagues to come to the table and work with Senate Democrats to invest in the resources Ohio communities need and deserve. Under President Biden, Congress is going to finally get infrastructure legislation enacted and will help give Ohioans better transportation with less pollution as part of the Build Back Better agenda.
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