your podcast c-span unfiltered view of politics. ♪ ♪ c-span is your unfiltered view of government funded by these including charter communications. charter is proud to be recognized as one of the best internet providers, and we're just getting started. building 100,000 miles of new infrastructure, to reach those who need it most. ♪ ♪ charter communication supports c-span as a public service along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. ♪ ♪ the poor people's campaign is launching an effort to mobilize voters for a mass march across u.s. to draw attention to issues important to low wage marchers and scheduled as part of a 42-week initiative in lead up to

the november election and a second march held in washington, d.c. on june 15th. the group's co-chair rerchgd william barber made announcement from the national press club. this is an hour. [silence] today we are here to announce that on march 2nd, 2024, in 32-plus states that you will hear more about later, we will be holding a mask poor wage workers moral march to state house assemblies, part of a 4a mobilization of low workers to touch more than 15 million

infrequent voters between now and november. and -- to announce that in june, june 15th, we will also be marching on the united states congress to launchn our summer initiative to continue to push to mobilize these 15 million poor and low income voters, low income low wage workers. it is time for a resurrection and not an insurrection and we this year are in the 60th anniversary of freedom summer. but freedom injustice is that which you must continue, continue to fight for. i'mhi going say a little bit moe but we want to introduce this first by way of our promo video whole nation might see and might join in with us. and so at this time promo video.

jackson -- [silence] is it not? what do we want -- justice. >> when do we want it -- now. ♪ ♪

i have been struggling to pay my bills since i've been working at 16 years old. i work full-time 64 hours a week, 7 days a week. i am exhausted. >> our government finds it necessary to ban abortion to say that they are saving our children. more children die at the result of poverty in this country. >> we cannot be forced to -- one necessity over another -- this is the consequences that we face. so what are people saying? that we are fighting the oldest

evil -- >> no matter how you call the holy, all of our sacred texts compel us to create a world in which there is enough for us all. >> in the face of a distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism, we declare that silence is betrayal. we gather on the streets in the spirit ofr the profit ms who declared hate evil, and love good and establish justice. we the charge from the holy -- [inaudible conversations] all you who have believed the persistent standing firm in justice, witnesses for god. >> comes from the bottom -- from those most directly impacted by the profound evils of america. our vote are not a show of

support. they are demands -- we will raise our cry and we will call for change because nothing less would be betrayal of our sacred commitment. >> we are here. we are the core of this -- we are here. [applause] [silence] >> not protected. [inaudible conversations] to create a path -- living in peace is more important than blowing up the world. we won't be silenced. if we got to march, we'll march. if we've got to engage, nonviolent action we will engage. if we have to ask workers to take election day --

we'll do it. but until then we won't be silenced. ♪ ♪ unheard -- [inaudible conversations] we're together -- s we must engage for people to change the political landscape. i want to talk about the power of poor and low income low wage voters in this country for far too long extremists have blamed poor people in low wage people forfo their plight moderates too often have ignored poor people

appealing to so-called middle-class meanwhile nearly half of this country and we're here today to make one thing clear poor and low wage brothers and sisters have the power to determine and decide the 2024 elections and elections beyond during the 2016 election, there were 34 million people and low wealth people eligible to vote and didn't and make up a quarter of the entire electorate. and our study that was done, unleashing the power of poor and low income americanings and 2020 by robert paul senate professor of social work at columbia university along with -- gupta we found that a major reason poor and low income people aren't voting is because political campaigns do not talk to them. do not speak to their issues. we found out that in our election cycle sometimes we have 15, 20 --

debates for president and not onees of those debates not 15 minutes not 30se minutes, not tn minutes is even given to raise questions about how the policies of that particular party or political politician will impact nearly 50% of the electorate in this country and -- of the citizenship. most americans recognize we need a third reconstruction. and only way we're going to do is by changing the political landscape, and onlyng way we're going toe do is by mobilizing poor and low income low wage voters. poverty is now the fourth leading cause of death in america. a moral crisis -- taken lives of 800 people every day, and this is before covid, and after covid. we can no longer accept that over 135 million of our neighbors are low and poor wealth in this country and while they're disproportionately black

55% or 22 million plus people the fact of the hard truth also is -- that the large majority nearly 60 million are white brothers and sisters as well. we must address these issues. these are not marginal issues. ... ry if we're serious about saving democracy. saving the democracy cannot just be some philosophical term. saving the democracy must be a third reconstruction where people are paid a living wage, where people have health care, where public education people have healthcare is fully funded and voting rights are protected and expanded. the hard truth is 20218 so-called moderate democratic democrat u.s.senator tom tester, kristine sinema, agnes king, chris coons voted with the

extremists in the senate republicans against raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. fifteen dollars an hour which was called for in 1963 at the march on washington when they wanted to increase the minimum wage by 75 cents with a $2.60 years behind. the minimum wage has not been raised since 2009. workers are working hard and producing more. many of them were essential workers. they feel like they're being treated as though they are expendable. these poorag and low wage workes are saying it is time for us to mobilizee it. that despite we are large logic this campaign 42 weeks to mobilize a 15 million poor and low-wage workers who have been in frequent voters. we are saying it is time to be infrequent no more. according to the exit poll 72% of americans say they would

prefer a government run healthcare plan over 70% of americans support raising the minimum wage. including 62% of republicans. in florida at $50 an hour minimum wage referendum got more votes than either presidential candidate. we declare today the poor and low wage voters coming together with religious leaders and more advocates to say our votes are demand. not merely votes for boats forpersonalities but voter policy. votes on demand. and if the persons at one thesec votes then at talk to this block of voters like you have never talked to them before. we must awake up the sleeping giant. our campaign will educate, mobilize and organize we will be working since 2008 team building a movement more than 42 states. i'm now around this country on march the second in 30 states alabama, arizona, california,

delaware, florida, georgia, illinois, kansas, kentucky, massachusetts, maine, michigan, missouri, mississippi the cama north colette in new jersey, new ohio oklahoma south carolina, tennessee, texas, vermont, onvirginia, washington state, washington d.c., west virginia and wisconsin we will be at mobilizing for 42 straight weeks. [applause] and then in washington d.c. on june the 15th we are not insurrection but you better believe we are a resurrection. a resurrection of justice and love and righteousness in a time for us to come together. if you want to know even more for those of you who are listening with the power really is for instance the margin of victory was near or less than 3% low income voters accounted for 35 -- 45% of the voting population. in arizona 39% in georgia 37%

and michigan 37%, and nevada 36% in north carolina 43%. in pennsylvania 34% and in wisconsin 39%. it is political suicide not to care about this block of voters. [applause] when you look at the fact that across this country there is not a state low income voters in not make up at least 20% of their electric.. finally here these numbers in michigan in 2016 the margin of victory in the presidential election was 10,000 votes. in 2016980000 poor blue-eyed eligible voters did noter vote. it would only take 1.1% of that percentage of low wage voters nonvoters to overcome the margin of victory in 2016. in north carolina late margin

for president was 170,000 votes. in 216,920,000 poor low wage it would only take 18.9% of a low w income low-wage nonvoters to match or exceed the margin of voters in that state. we have power we have got to use it and the time is now to build the third reconstruction be a resurrection of power in this moment. there is no turning back. march the second we mobilize for 42 straight weeks to shift the political electorate in this country. [applause] at this time i want to invite cochair of the poor people's campaign a national call for our

revival to come. following her one of our posters in this country will come and talk as c well. and to make very clear why this is a critical issue that put people seeking elected office cannot cannot and must not ignore. [applause] >> we know from the experience of leaders in the poor people's campaign a national call for more revival. economic justice and saving this democracy are deeply connected. this rich nation that has the wherewithal to end poverty tomorrow where there is the political will we must not overlook the voices and votes of

poor and low income people. and as we have said and we will continue to say we are mobilizing and organizing registering educating people for a movement that votes. votes for healthcare and debt cancellation. votes for living-p wages and strong antipoverty programs votes for spare texans the taxee demilitarization of our communities and world. votes for immigrant rights and more. since the last presidential election there have been at least 1000 voter suppression bills introduced across this country. this attack on our democracy and voting rights impacts poor and low income people the most. in his votes are most suppressed and at what happened when extremists get into office policies that hurt the poor and vulnerable the most? no this connection between

democracy and poverty from my home state and wisconsin. battleground state in thiss election. home to 1.9 million poor income eligible voters. as we heard at 39% of the electorate. but between 2020 and 2023 wisconsin lawmakers have introduced 46 motor restrictive bills. and at the same time 1.1 million children receive the expanded child tax credit 320,000 low-wage workers received earned income tax credit but since the pandemic programs have expired poverty is on the east. it does not have to be this way. or inxp pennsylvania i personaly springs homelessness and got involved in organizing where pennsylvania is home 3.3 million poor and low income voters who

are 30% of the electorate. we are between 20202023 pennsylvania state lawmakers introduced 41 voter restricted bills and now 60079500 people almost 600,000 people are expected to have loss of medicaid by next. due to the end of these pandemic policies. if we are going to be serious about addressing the problems of low wages, the lack of inadequate housing attacks on education and more in this impoverished democracy we as a nation must listen to the demands of the poor are dying from policy who are calling for the expansion of voting rights not the suppression of our votes

andoi pushing and will continueo push political candidates and elected leaders to lift from the bottom so everyone. people are dying but we know it doesn't have to be this way we are calling on everyone to join us in the poorr people's campain and national call for moralti revival join us in 42 weeks of mobilizing and organizingiz because we are going to get it done. [applause] >> it is so critical in this moment that we dispel so many distortions poor white people vote against their own interests. low wage folks don't have power. the margins really cannot make a difference people are only not voting because of voter

suppression number one reason people vote is what the researchers found. we cannot change this. one job support means you should just be quiet because everything is gettingau better. the snapshot in time. it's not talk about systemic change in the period of time that does not change the law thatmu makes that minimum wage s $7.25. people who are in the restaurant industry to arson 13 cents less tips. does not change the folks dying from poverty. thirty of 50000 people died during code from the lack of healthcare. it is important we march on the state o capitol while we are marching on state capitol because that is where so much of the current day political insurrection is going on.

and state capitals. we march on the state capitals each of these marches will also include meeting with both sides of the aisle. taking our demands and policies to every politician and state assemblies in the state demanding state assemblies to demand what they can do. voting rights when it comes to living wages in that state when it comes to funding when it comes healthcare in that state. our issues on the fly are very specific to what state assemblies can do. we come june 15 the congress will be focus on what the congress can do. we are focused on state assemblies can do. and in a little bit i'm going to introduce you to who's going to be our cochair for straddle his age and on june 15. right now we want to focus we talked the other day and you said this is a right. as a major pollster who does

this work all of the time, come and talk to the american people in our constituents about why this group kanawha must not, should not be ignored. [applause] >> it is a great honor very humbling to be here. i think it is a sign that speaks to my expertise, which is voters. it is not n the polling data tht should drive this campaign. obviously the authority and the need. but in this case the right thing to do is also the smart thing to do. in 2020 for theio election is going to be about mobilization. is no question the biggest contest between the two parties

is going to be who can get there voters out to vote? democrats have an enthusiasm today and we have the progressive alliance the democrats have fissures within their constituency that make getting out the vote even more important. they get big as a block of potential voters by far is low income low wage voters for increasedar participation by evn minusculevo percentages with boh the ministers before me haveor been very good pollsters and giving good numbers. minuscule changes could be game changing in terms of the margins. it is a massive voter engagement that is unprecedented that is being started here today. and what i say as a practitioner's that combines the essential elements of o getting out the early were not coming in on october 31 and sing save the nation. grassroots engagement, and

powerful local leaders you see on that board and a powerful agenda. this is an agenda again that is not controversy it with theep public. democrats, independents and republican support this agenda by this child tax credit, raising wages, one a fair wage again medicaid expansion is wildly popular with the voters. they do not know they're supposed to be against it. they are wildly in favor of it. but let's go to the politics here pretty heard these numbers already but let me just share a couple with you. where the margin of victory was less than 3% and where it's projected to be less than 3% in 2024, 30 -- 45% of the voters are a low wage voters for low income families. reverend barber gave you these numbers already but just a couple in arizona 40% of the voters low-wage.

the percentage of victory was .03%. georgia 38% of the voters. zero-point 2% michigan 39 and the numbers go on and on. a big turnout among low-wage workers today and low income voters is on average in doctor hartley's done a magnificent report here. twenty -- 22% below the average turnout. this is a huge a block of voters is a block of voters that boast 58 -- 60% at minimum progressive no matter how conservative the states. so whether your tongue about nevada, arizona, wisconsin,iz pennsylvania, north carolina you are talking about a huge number, a game changing number of voters. the question is -- what i love about polling as conventional wisdom is about 95% route +-plus-minus-sign 5%. beltway conventional wisdom is wrong about one 100% of the time.

plus or minus 5% is the reverend said this cannot be that it won't make any difference really. while in georgia 39000 nonvoters forgot not to vote between 2016 and 2020. that was three times the margin of victory. and just to end on a note of a little of the difference here you do not have to be very good at math to realize these numbers are astounding. aa lot of americans are not too good at math but everyone gets his ratio. inin arizona there are more than 280,000 projected nonvoters and low income households. the margin of victory was o 10,000. in georgia 500,000 but even with all of the mobilization of the march of the victory was under 12000 votes. in north carolina it was lost by 74000 votes. 480,000 low income families projected not to vote in 2024. and finally wisconsin in honor of your home state 240,000 low

income families projected not to vote the margin of victory is 21000.n, again this campaign it's a great honor to be a part of because it is the right thing to do but you would have to be a moron not to participate in this and most elected officials are not too. so thank you for your time. thank you so much for your leadership. [applause] >> thank you. >> thank you so much. that is exactly writes these are serious numbers that we are spending retreat in my home state and tier one counties the poorest counties i got so tired of people writing off those counties and not recognizing i've been poor all of my life that the take up his board in it. people have been writing itli oe it's the very plays were just a little bit of change could fundamentally shift the power of the state limit recognize her senior advisor to the poor people's campaign a national call is in the room. let maya recognize jackson who s

working with us as executive director andov strategist as a move towards june 15. these numbers are serious. we do not we can come alive. we can come alive and shift this. and for those list think for not just starting this year we have tested this in 2016, 2020 we took about 400 people, trained and touched over 2 million voters in seven states we have the metrics if you pull out for instance the number people we touch in georgia and help get to the polls our touch at work in the talk a little bit about this. i went to ask the went to each take about a minute and a halfoi and were going to go straight to powerbrokers. they don't mind me saying that.

no one will ever pay attention to you you've got to say it to make them pay attention. reverend, attorney general? good morning. >> goodrn morning. i wanted to share a few more numbers about georgia which we heard already. as an example of the kind of a power that voters have unleashed and will continue to build and unleash towards 2024 to the elections this year. there are about 2.4 million poor and low income voters in georgia. and in 2020 just half of them a little bit more than half cast their vote they still accounted for nearly one quarter of all the votes cast in that election. that's a huge segment of the vote chair and it was still just half. it was just half of the block of

voters. yet most voting drives don't pay attention because the conventional wisdom which is not very wise is that poor income people do not care about politics, elections or voting which just is not true. in 2020 the poor people's campaign a national call for moral revival deliberately targeted the voters in several states and in georgia ice we have heard our outreach help bring 39000 of those eligible nonvoterss who have not participated in 2016 but chose to participate in 2020. they thought our reach wase part of the effort that brought them into the voting electorate that was three times, three times greater than the margin of victory in that state. we went back in 2020 reaching out to every low income voter in georgia who we know, we know we've seen in 2020 we sop in 2022 we will see it again in 2024 part not only in georgia but across the country these

voters can be organized to take action together around an agenda that speaks to their needs that agenda as we have heard not only must be pro- poor has to confront systemic poverty systemic racism has to confront ecological devastation. and programs that are lifesaving. and a war economy all of which harm the port first and worst. alongside 2.4 million people in georgia the 2.4 voters are another 80,000,080,000,000 voters are part of a population of 140 million people who need to see the agenda carry forward. as time our political system started taking these voters and these people seriously. [applause] we've been hearing a lot about the facts and figures. but let's be very clear we are

in a moral crisis right now. we're in a moral crisis in this country but has been festering because of the systemic injustices we have heard do not have to be this way. it is a policy choice we are in a moral crisis he have poverty being the fourth leading cause of death we are in a moral crisis led to 2 million people earning less than $15 an hour. we are in a moral crisis for 46 million peoplee who don't evn have access to safe drinking water. we are in a moral crisis but we have the power we have the power across this country to turn every election around. we have a power in this country because in 2016 we saw over one third of the state the margin of victory for over a third of the state wereha less than 100,000

voters. we have the power we are going to show them our power not just on march 2 on june 15 definitely at the polls we have the power it will be making it known these elections are going to be one step. we know the first step on the long road to change every single one of those policies so all can afford together. [applause] one step back. one step back. i think it is very clear while politicians running need to talk voters. they're not about personalities there about demand. your conventions you to talk to these voters why were doing a list before the conventions you want these voters, talk toal thm because they have the power. we talk about saving democracy, here is the power. and so to talk about that we have some people coming now who

represent that power and i ask them to stand together. matt rosen, keep me on time. veronica from wisconsin, matt rosen from pennsylvania. [applause] janese inducement from massachusetts. mike from maryland, linda burns from alabama. and we also have on zoom out of north carolina armstrong, am i right georgia out of georgia all right? you will come her on the podium at this time come on. at? >> hey everyone. my name is matthew rosen i am from pennsylvania. i am part of poor people

campaign i'm currently in the society this all started because of mental healthed issues. i was denied treatment for years. i was looked at as a criminal and not someone with healthcare needs. it took 20 years not fitting into the society received the mental health care that i needed. i am a convicted felon. i served nine years altogether in prison. i was told by correction officers i was not allowed to vote i assumed they were right that i never looked into it. i was 40 years old when my wife finally told me i actually did have the right to vote. i am tired of companies and billionaires buying politicians and driving workers deeper and deeper into poverty and debt. the daily toll of thankless retail jobs and backbreaking construction jobs that i have worked meanwhile in pennsylvania there 19 billionaires have $92 billionn altogether. their flat tax they pay the same

taxes that i do. rightin now because of my crimil record the amount of money we have forked out for a car that still will not run my wife and are struggling to find a place called home. we are currently living in a house with a friend. we just want something simple we just want a roof over our heads. the basic right to human housing. there are many like us my wife call that we mustn't come across division to make the demand to put people first. people over profits and gain. life over death and our voices be heard by statete representatives for jobs they were elected to do. [applause] >> i heard you are going to be mobilized for. >> oh yes, oh yes. all right. ♪ c-span's "washington journal"

leiva form involving you to discuss lease issues in issues d government politics and public policy. from washington d.c. and across the country. coming up thursday morning we will discuss the implications of section iii of the 14th amendment of the constitution as the u.s. supreme court reviews former president trump's appeal against the colorado court's decision barring him from the gop primary ballot for legal scholars. see spans "washington journal" join in the conversation life at 7:00 a.m. eastern thursday morning on c-span, c-span now or online at c-span.org. last december the colorado supreme court ruled f president donald trump and el to appear in the states presidential ballot for violation of the u.s. constitution insurrection clause under the 14th amendment. hears oral arguments donaldcourt trump's appeal of that decision. we'll have it live starting a 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. c-span now