Barbara Lee

Chairwoman Barbara Lee Notes Anniversary of American Rescue Plan

In my district in California’s East Bay, the American Rescue Plan has been transformative, especially its expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Families in my district alone received 74,000 individual payments for a total of close to $160 million during the last half of 2021. For thousands of families in our community, this money meant the difference between having childcare or not, having healthy food on the table or not, having a secure place to live or not.

Published

3 years ago

March 21, 2022

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.

By Sean Ryan

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, issued the following statement on March 11 marking one year since the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law:

One year ago, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law following passage by Congress, catapulting a historic recovery that has led to one of the strongest periods of economic growth in a century.

Many Americans had been left to fend for themselves during one of the worst public health and economic crises in history. The ARP expanded access to vaccines and testing; provided economic relief that kept millions out of poverty; prevented a catastrophic wave of evictions and foreclosures; helped small businesses and schools stay afloat; and made critical investments in the expansion of health care coverage and reducing costs for millions.

In my district in California’s East Bay, the ARP has been transformative, especially its expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Families in my district alone received 74,000 individual payments for a total of close to $160 million during the last half of 2021. For thousands of families in our community, this money meant the difference between having childcare or not, having healthy food on the table or not, having a secure place to live or not.

Through my Covid Community Care Act, we also delivered vital funding to support community-based efforts to hire and mobilize community outreach workers, community health workers, social support specialists, and others to increase vaccine access for the hardest-hit and highest-risk communities through high-touch, on-the-ground outreach to educate and assist individuals in getting the information they need about vaccinations.

Looking back on its impact, we now have analyses showing that the ARP resulted in 4 million jobs and nearly doubled GDP growth — and without it, we would have neared a double-digit recession. Compared to previous economic recoveries, this past year’s has also been far more equitable in terms of progress against child poverty, food insecurity, and unemployment for low-income communities and communities of color.

With that said, we still have a long way to go on all of these issues. Too many still lack access to the health care they need to live a fulfilling life. Millions of Americans are struggling to put food on the table amid rising costs, from the ongoing housing crisis to the recent spike in gas prices to the ever-growing cost of childcare. And the pervasive racial and gender inequities laid bare by COVID are deeper than ever.

I urge Americans to look at what the American Rescue Plan did in just a single year as a testament to the transformative impact government can have when it prioritizes people. I thank President Biden and my Democratic colleagues in Congress for their steadfast leadership and look forward to continuing to work together to deliver for the American people.

Sean Ryan is a member of Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s media relations office.

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Barbara Lee

WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

7 days ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.

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Activism

New Oakland Moving Forward

This week, several socially enterprising members of this group visited Oakland to explore ways to collaborate with local stakeholders at Youth Empowerment Partnership, the Port of Oakland, Private Industry Council, Oakland, Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, the Oakland Ballers ownership group, and the oversight thought leaders in the Alameda County Probation Department.

Published

7 days ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Post Staff

Since the African American Sports and Entertainment Group purchased the City of Oakland’s share of the Alameda County Coliseum Complex, we have been documenting the positive outcomes that are starting to occur here in Oakland.

Some of the articles in the past have touched on actor Blair Underwood’s mission to breathe new energy into the social fabric of Oakland. He has joined the past efforts of Steph and Ayesha Curry, Mistah Fab, Green Day, Too Short, and the Oakland Ballers.

This week, several socially enterprising members of this group visited Oakland to explore ways to collaborate with local stakeholders at Youth Empowerment Partnership, the Port of Oakland, Private Industry Council, Oakland, Mayor-Elect Barbara Lee, the Oakland Ballers ownership group, and the oversight thought leaders in the Alameda County Probation Department.

These visits represent a healthy exchange of ideas and plans to resuscitate Oakland’s image. All parties felt that the potential to impact Oakland is right in front of us. Most recently, on the back side of these visits, the Oakland Ballers and Blair Underwood committed to a 10-year lease agreement to support community programs and a community build-out.

So, upward and onward with the movement of New Oakland.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Post Endorses Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee will be able to unify the city around Oakland’s critical budget and financial issues, since she will walk into the mayor’s office with the support of a super majority of seven city council members — enabling her to achieve much-needed consensus on moving Oakland into a successful future.

Published

2 months ago

April 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo, Office of Rep. Barbara Lee.

Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo.

As we end the celebration of Women’s History Month in Oakland, we endorse Barbara Lee, a woman of demonstrated historical significance. In our opinion, she has the best chance of uniting the city and achieving our needs for affordable housing, public safety, and fiscal accountability.

As a former small business owner, Barbara Lee understands how to apply tools needed to revitalize Oakland’s downtown, uptown, and neighborhood businesses.

It is notable that many of those who fought politically on both sides of the recent recall election battles have now laid down their weapons and become brothers and sisters in support of Barbara Lee. The Oakland Post is pleased to join them.