West Says Paid Sick Leave Necessary To Protect Minorities From Income Loss as Coronavirus Spreads

DALLAS–Senator Royce West on Wednesday said the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has highlighted the desperate need for federally-mandated paid sick leave in the United States.

“As many as 78 percent of American workers live paycheck to paycheck according to a recent survey. We know, statistically, many of those families are African American and Hispanic. The potential economic hardships this could cause a Texas family are tremendous,” West said. “It will disproportionately impact African American and Hispanic Texans,” he said.

“I think of a Hispanic dad or a single African American mother who works two jobs to make ends meet, has no vacation time, no savings, and ends up out of work for two weeks, and it stops me cold in my tracks,” West said. “You know what comes next–they can’t pay the rent and are evicted, they get behind on their car note, their electric bill, and more,” West said.

“I know this is what happens in these situations, because I have seen it first-hand,” West said. “I have had families–white, Hispanic, and African American–sit across from my desk in my senate district and tell me this is what happens. I’ve seen mothers and fathers who don’t want to ask for help but are stuck when they have nowhere to turn because of a sudden, brief illness,” West said.

“Two weeks out of work may not be much if you make $200,000 a year, have vacation, paid sick time, and savings. To Hispanic and African American families who are middle class and low-income, it could mean economic devastation,” West said. “For families of color already on the razor’s edge of poverty, it may mean the difference between a roof over their head or homelessness,” he said.

West said he believed every working American should be entitled to at least seven calendar days per year of federally-mandated paid sick leave. “Frankly, that’s not enough. It really should be more. However, I am a pragmatic person, and I know that we must build a coalition to get this passed in the Senate and in the House,” West said.

“I will introduce this legislation when I am in the U.S. Senate, and work to build a coalition to get it passed,” he said.

“Republicans are fond of saying Texans should pull themselves up by the bootstraps. And many times, when they use that language to attack programs such as food stamps, housing vouchers, and disability services, we know that is dog-whistle racism,” West said.

“You cannot pull yourself up by the bootstraps when you can’t afford boots, and that is the situation in which many African American and Hispanic Texans find themselves,” West continued.

“We must do more for working Americans and working Texans,” he concluded.