Resolution 12
Resolution Calling for a 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights
WHEREAS, in his 1944 State of the Union Address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called for a “Second Bill of Rights,” declaring that “true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence” and affirming that “necessitous men are not free men”; and
WHEREAS, President Roosevelt envisioned a new foundation of security and prosperity that would guarantee economic dignity and opportunity for all Americans regardless of station, race, or creed; and
WHEREAS, more than eighty years later, millions of Americans face rising costs of housing, health care, education, and basic necessities while wealth and economic power become increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few; and
WHEREAS, the Democratic Party has long championed the economic security of working people, from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal to the modern Democratic Party Platform’s commitment to expanding opportunity, strengthening workers’ rights, lowering costs for families, and building a fair economy that works for everyone, which reflect the values of our Party; and
WHEREAS, recent economic policies, including the passage of President Donald Trump’s H.R.1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, threaten to deepen economic inequality while weakening the social safety net relied upon by millions of working families; and
WHEREAS, advancing a bold economic vision rooted in fairness, dignity, and shared prosperity is essential to strengthening American democracy and restoring trust in our institutions; and
WHEREAS, Democratic Parties across the country including the Massachusetts, California, West Virginia, and Arizona Democratic Parties, Democrats Abroad, and numerous local Democratic committees have adopted resolutions supporting a modern Economic Bill of Rights;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Democratic National Committee reaffirms its commitment to building an economy that works for everyone and recognizes the importance of advancing a 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights grounded in the principles articulated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Democratic National Committee supports the following fundamental economic rights for all people in the United States:
- The right to a job that pays a living wage;
- The right to a voice and protections in the workplace through a union and collective bargaining, and other forms of workplace democracy;
- The right to start and own farms and businesses in rural communities that are not subject to market or supply chain control, unfair price competition, or other forms of unfair corporate coercion;
- The right to comprehensive quality health care including prescription medicines, vision, dental, hearing, and long term health care fully funded for all;
- The right to a complete cost-free public education and access to high speed and reliable broadband internet;
- The right to decent, safe, affordable housing;
- The right to a clean environment and a healthy planet;
- The right to food security, a childhood free of poverty, and a secure retirement;
- The right to affordable, high-quality childcare, and early childhood education;
- The right to sound banking and financial services;
- The right to an equitable and economically fair justice system; and
- The right to an equal voice in our democracy by limiting the undue influence of corporate contributions.
- Submitted by
- Millie Herrera, FL
- Co-sponsored by
- Susan Alksnis (DA); David Atkins (CA); Brenda Brathwaite (MA); Jodie Brown (Vice Chair, MS); Raymond Buckley (Chair, NH); Kam Buckner (IL); Jennifer Carroll Foy (VA); Pamela Castellana (FL); Michelle Chambers (IN); Larry Cohen (MD); Shasti Conrad (DNC Vice Chair, WA); Juan Cuba (FL); Luis Dávila-Pernas (Chair, PR); Bryan Graham (VA); Linda Gray (Vice Chair, DC); Daniel Henry (Vice Chair, FL); Nathan Higdon (Vice Chair, TN); Lydia Hudson (FL); Michele Johnson (LA); Zayed Kadir (NY); Michael Kapp (CA); Harry Khanna (VA); Jane Kleeb (DNC Vice Chair, NE); Cameron Landin (GA); Cory Lemke (DA); Robbie Leonard (MD); Jennifer Marshall (NC); Oscar Mata (UT); Sean Meloy (PA); Allison Minnerly (FL); Judy Mount (FL); Steven Nardi (Vice Chair, DA); June Owens (IA); Jason Park (CA); Melvin Poindexter (MA); Latonya Reeves (MN); Terrie Rizzo (FL); Lottie Shackelford (AR); Nathan Soltz (Chair, OR); Jeff Strater (TX); Analisa Swan (CA); Vinod Thomas (NC); John Verdejo (NC); Selina Vickers (WV); Samuel Vilchez-Santiago (FL); Andrew Werthmann (WI); Michael White (MP)
- Adopted
- Considered by the DNC Resolutions Committee on April 9, 2026 and adopted by the Democratic National Committee on April 10, 2026.