In his January, 1944, State of the Union address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt described the single most important piece of American legislation that was never passed into law, his Economic Bill of Rights. This Bill recognized and provided for the social fabric that underpins a vibrant economy and the American dream: the right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and recreation; a decent home; and a good education. Still today, a majority of Americans across the political divide support a federal job guarantee.

FDR’s goal was to address a looming crisis: laws that "proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness." He was right then, and he is even more right today. Every element of the American dream is under attack. In Kentucky’s 5th congressional district, nearly 25% of people live at or below the poverty line and count on federal assistance to survive. The BBB cuts funding for SNAP and programs that support healthy food for schools, food banks, and seniors. Tariffs are increasing the price of everything; the rising costs of food and clothing are particularly worrisome. Housing has become unaffordable nationwide. Although average home prices in Kentucky’s 5th district are lower than the national average, the average worker’s salary of under $45,000 (much less than the national average) means a home is out of reach for most. Worse, there is a lack of affordable homes on high ground. And even if families can afford to buy a home, a single large expense or rising costs of living can mean default on a mortgage or limit options for improving lives. For example the rising cost of childcare can mean that parents opt to stay home rather than pursue a career, while eliminating funding for broadband internet makes it harder to work or learn from home. Across the country, there is broad support for the federal and state governments to do more to address homelessness, build affordable housing, and fight hunger.

One traditional key to higher-paying jobs and prosperity - education - is especially under attack. The Department of Education is being dismantled. Federal funds for early-childhood and K-12 education are being cut or eliminated. Rising costs, reductions in federal student loans and grants, and cuts to federal programs that funded childcare on college campus mean that most families can no longer afford college, graduate school, or professional school, or will view these as not worth the cost. Narrowing who can get an education, along with censoring the material taught in the classroom and cuts to federal programs that fund academic research, will stifle innovation and degrade the workforce for a long time. It’s time to treat education as a human right at the federal level, as it is in every state's constitution. It's time to pass legislation that guarantees free tuition to public schools from early childhood through graduate, trade, or professional school. Further, it’s time to support education to benefit local communities by increasing funding for broadband internet, expanding federal education grants for ‘return to community’ service, and ending student loan debt.