A Positive Case For The Democratic Ticket
I had a great conversation with a thoughtful and intelligent voter. He told me (justifiably) that Joe Biden and the Democrats need to emphasize their positive platform and that simply telling us Trump is a bad president isn’t good enough. I agreed with him and this post in response to this conversation.
This post consists of a summary of previous posts that I have made in support of the Democrat’s positive accomplishments and platform for the 2020 election cycle.
As a starting point, Joe Biden will bring us a new era of progressive reform. The former Vice President’s agenda would represent a sharp break from Trump’s plutocratic agenda. Biden has come out in favor of the following programs:
- Increased Social Security benefits.
- Creation of a public option with more generous subsidies to insure 97% of Americans.
- Invest up to $2 trillion to eradicate climate change by 2050.
- Create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and reinstate DACA.
- End mandatory minimum sentences, abolish private prisons, end cash bail and eliminate the death penalty.
- Institute a $15 per hour minimum wage.
- Raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations by $4 trillion.
Shortly after his big victories on Super Tuesday that essentially wrapped up the nomination, Biden adopted two of Elizabeth Warren’s signature policies. He endorsed Warren’s bankruptcy plan and her public college plan. Under the Biden-Warren plan, public college would be free for those whose family incomes are below $125,000.
Since Sanders suspended his campaign, Biden came out in favor of reducing the Medicare eligibility age to 60 and forgiving student loan debt for middle and low income borrowers who attended a black college, a community college or a public college.
The House Democrats’ accomplishments on Capitol Hill indicate that they would form up a productive working partnership with a President Biden.
While the country has been (justifiably) focused on the pandemic and the recession, the House Democratic majority has passed sweeping reforms that should provide a template on what to expect next year if the Democrats should run the table in November. Since the House Democrats were sworn in last year, they have passed bills on: election reform; LGBTQ equality protections; a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients; equal pay for women; gun background checks; climate change; strengthening the Affordable Care Act; the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act; a higher minimum wage, voting rights; reduced prescription costs and net neutrality.
Since the pandemic hit and the economy tanked, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took the lead and passed the Cares Act with overwhelming bi-partisan support. The $2 trillion in stimulus has provided a lifeline for millions of Americans.
Since the passage of the Cares Act, House Democrats passed the Heroes Act on May 15. According to CNBC, the Heroes Act would: “offer additional aid to jobless workers, send another direct payment to individuals, offer hazard pay to essential workers, give aid to state and local governments facing budget crunches and offer assistance to renters and homeowners as moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures start to expire.
A recent report from Moody’s and economist Mark Zandi has concluded that a Democratic sweep would be best for getting the economy back on track. (Zandi is no leftist — he was John McCain’s economic adviser in 2008.)
Moody’s found that a Biden presidency and a Democratic Congress would create a net 7.4 million more jobs and a faster economic recovery than if Trump somehow manages to cling to power. According to this report: “In this scenario, the economy is expected to create 18.6 million jobs during Biden’s term as president, and the economy returns to full employment, with unemployment of just over 4%, by the second half of 2022…Real after tax income for the average American household would increase by $4,800.00 by the end of a Biden first term. “
In contrast, “a Republican sweep would add 11 million jobs in a Trump second term, with the economy only returning to full employment in the first half of 2024. With a weaker job market, the average American household’s real after-tax income wouldn’t budge much,” Moody’s said.
If you have already voted, thank for you doing so. If you still have your mail in ballot, please drop it off in a drop box as soon as possible. If it is safe for you to do so, you can always vote in-person on November 3.
If you want different results out of Washington, you have to vote for different people. I would urge a vote for the Biden-Harris ticket, write in Preston Love for U.S. Senate, Kate Bolz in CD-01, and Kara Eastman in CD-02. Thank you for all that you do!