Friend,

As the Delta variant rapidly spreads across the country, the need for eviction moratoriums and an end to utility shutoffs grows even more urgent.

This week, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D–Michigan) introduced the Maintaining Access to Essential Services Act — a House version of a bill introduced in the Senate two months ago that would stop utility companies from shutting off essential services during the pandemic and cancel utility debt for households that haven’t been able to pay their bills. And we urgently need this to move alongside the infrastructure package.

Urge your members of Congress to #CancelUtilityDebt.

With government supports put in place during the pandemic expiring, it's critical that we work together to ensure that people are able to access water, power and internet. No one should ever have to decide between paying their utility bills and paying for other essentials.

Millions of people across the country are facing a tidal wave of shutoffs as households are unable to get out from under the crushing weight of utility debt. That debt, which piled on during the economic and health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is in the billions of dollars nationally.

Access to water, power and internet are human rights. People need relief and they need it now.

Tell Congress to keep people connected and pass the Maintaining Access to Essential Services Act today.

Thanks for all that you do,

Heather, Dana and the rest of the Free Press Action team
freepress.net

P.S. Millions of people across the country are crushed under the weight of utility debt. A new bill would provide much-needed relief: Urge your members of Congress to #CancelUtilityDebt.