On July 8, members of Alliance to Develop Power met with Senator Scott Brown at his office in Boston. The 60 minute meeting, the first meeting of the Senator's tenure with a grassroots community organization, was largely focused on Brown's pivotal role as the 60th vote needed for passage of legislation in the U.S. Senate and his campaign promise of “Big Tent” bipartisanship. Senator Brown's announcement yesterday that he expects to vote in favor of the Dodd-Frank reform bill marks a victory for ADP and the millions of Americans affected by the economic crisis.
Senator Brown agreed with the need to reign in big banks through strong regulatory reform, as well as the need to address the crisis in unemployment – with job creation and unemployment insurance for the 41,500 Massachusetts residents whose benefits will run out by the end of July. In the meeting, ADP members urged Senator Brown to vote yes on the financial reform bill and for the extension of unemployment insurance legislation – both of which are expected to come to a vote this week.
As Rev. Rosa Lopez said of the meeting, “I believe we had a very successful meeting with our Senator. He heard our concerns regarding financial reform, immigration reform, and the need for jobs. It is our prayer that we continue to work together as people of God in favor of our communities and cities; knowing that his job is not easy – it can be done if we unite in the spirit of love and compassion for our people.”
We are pleased to report that Senator Brown committed to standing with the everyday people of Massachusetts who elected him, not the greedy Wall Street bankers who crashed our economy. We had a productive and positive conversation that centered on our shared values and common goals of solving this economic crisis by putting people first. We look forward to meeting with the Senator again.
Thank You for getting his attention and letting him know that the only way to get out of this crisis is by “putting people first” instead of putting the “greedy Wall Street bankers” first. Too bad it’s too late for him to take back his demand to protect the mega-banks by refusing to support the bank fee. Unfortunaely, now this legislation will be paid for with working/middle class tax payer dollars. I wonder if he even gets it.