We met with Senator Padilla's policy director. Meet your new Senator and his priorities!

On Monday Feb 8, 2021, Invisible SF members joined over forty Indivisible members from groups across CA to meet with Josh Esquivel, policy director for Senator Padilla in Washington DC. The meeting was organized by our friends at Indivisible East Bay. 

We discussed several topics of utmost importance to us, including the COVID-relief bill (American Rescue Plan), which is currently being considered to be passed by US Senate under reconciliation rules.

Among the most important provisions we’ve been advocating for in this relief package is the $15 minimum wage, which Senator Padilla supports.  The Congressional Budget Office has announced yesterday that this measure will lift up to 1mil Americans out of poverty over the next 10 years. 

On the topic of defending and expanding democracy, we learned that Senator Padilla supports our initiatives.  The Senator already supports H.R.51 (the DC statehood bill). He is also supportive of S1, which is the Senate version of the “For the People Act” (HR1). 

Senator Padilla is also supportive of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which is yet to be brought in front of the Senate. These pieces of legislation are Democrats’ best defense against Republicans’ aggressive gerrymandering laws, voting rights restrictions at the state level, and overall anti-democratic state laws. 

We also found out that Senator Padilla is assembling a nominating committee committed to identifying a diverse (in background and expertise) list of candidates for the Federal Judiciary branch, who are to be nominated by President Biden. 

We learned that Senator Padilla’s priorities will be pursued under the overarching frame of equity.  As a child of immigrants growing up in Pacoima, CA (currently the epicenter of the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic), the senator will focus on issues such as racial justice, immigrant rights, economic, environmental and criminal justice with the goal of improving equity among Americans. He will do so through his role on the Department of Homeland Security, Budget, Public Work and Rules Senate Committees, which he is a member of. Oversight of CBP and ICE in particular for humane treatment of immigrants as well as empowering immigrants here at home are important issues he will focus on. 

Finally we learned that Senator Padilla is looking forward to meeting his constituents through town halls. Stay tuned for more announcements on this front!