Democrats

Democrats Need to Stop Playing Nice (3/11/2024)

"The heart of progressive-liberal values is simple: empathy (caring about and for people) and responsibility (acting responsibly on that empathy). These values translate into a simple principle: Use the common wealth for the common good to better all our lives. In short, promoting the common good is the central role of government. George Lakoff
"the real incomes of middle class families have grown twice as fast under Democrats as they have under Republicans, while the real incomes of working poor families have grown six times as fast under Democrats as they have under Republicans." Larry Bartels, Unequal Democracy, the Political Economy of the New Gilded Age
Biden Accomplishments

This election shows Democrats are not doomed after all (11/8/2023)

What has Biden Done ? Year One

This list copied from What Biden Has Done (Year One)

  • 1.9T American Rescue Plan
  • $1400 stimulus checks for adults, children, and adult dependents
  • 1 year child tax credit expansion – $3600 0-5, $3000 6-17, removed income reqs and made fully refundable
  • One year EITC expansion
  • $350 billion state and local aid
  • $130 billion for schools for safe reopening
  • $40 billion for higher ed, half of which must go to student aid
  • Extended $300 supplemental UI through September 2021
  • Expanded eligibility for extended UI to cover new categories
  • Made $10,200 in UI from 2020 tax free
  • $1B for Head Start
  • $24B Childcare stabilization fund
  • $15B in low-income childcare grants
  • One Year Child and Dependent Care credit expansion
  • $46.5B in housing assistance, inc:
  • $21.5B rental assistance
  • $10B homeowner relief
  • $5B for Sec 8 vouchers
  • $5B to fight homelessness
  • $5B for utilities assistance
  • Extended Eviction moratorium through Aug 2021 (SC struck down)
  • 2 year ACA tax credit expansion and ending of subsidy cliff – expanded coverage to millions and cut costs for millions more
  • 100% COBRA subsidy through Sept 30th, 2021

    • Republicans want

    Problems

  • 6 month special enrollment period from Feb-Aug 2021
  • Required insurers to cover PrEP, an HIV prevention drug, including all clinical visits relating to it
  • Extended open enrollment from 45 to 76 days
  • New year round special enrollment period for low income enrollees
  • Restored Navigator program to assist with ACA sign up
  • Removed separate billing requirement for ACA abortion coverage
  • Eliminated regulation that allows states to privatize their exchanges
  • Eliminated all Medicaid work requirements
  • Permanently removed restriction on access to abortion pills by mail
  • Signed the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act to fund increased ALS research and expedite access to experimental treatments
  • Rescinded Mexico City Policy (global gag rule) which barred international non-profits from receiving US funding if they provided abortion counseling or referrals
  • Allowed states to extend coverage through Medicaid and CHIP to post-partum women for 1 year (up from 60 days)
  • 42 Lifetime Federal judges confirmed – most in 40 years
  • 13 Circuit Court judges
  • 29 District Court judges
  • Named first openly LBGTQ woman to sit on an appeals court, first Muslim American federal judge, and record number of black women and public defenders
  • $1.2T infrastructure law, including $550B in new funding $
  • 110B for roads and bridges •$66B for passenger and freight rail
  • $39B for public transit, plus $30.5B in public transit funds from ARP
  • $65B for grid expansion to build out grid for clean energy transmission
  • $50B for climate resiliency
  • $21 for environmental remediation, incl. superfund cleanup and capping orphan wells
  • $7.5B for electric buses
  • $7.5B for electric charging stations
  • $55B for water and wastewater, including lead pipe removal
  • $65B for Affordable Broadband
  • $25B for airports, plus $8B from ARP
  • $17B for ports and waterways
  • $1B in reconnecting communities
  • Rejoined the Paris Climate Accords 50% emission reduction goal (2005 levels) by 2030
  • EO instructing all federal agencies to implement climate change prevention measures
  • Ordered 100% carbon free electricity federal procurement by 2030
  • 100% zero emission light vehicle procurement by 2027, all vehicles by 2035
  • Net Zero federal building portfolio by 2045, 50% reduction by 2032
  • Net Zero federal procurement no later than 2050
  • Net zero emissions from federal operations by 2050, 65% reduction by 2030
  • Finalized rule slashing the use of hydrofluorocarbons by 85% by 2036 – will slow temp rise by 0.5°C on it’s own.
  • Set new fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks, raising the requirement for 2026 from 43mpg to 55mpg.
  • Protected Tongass National Forest, one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, from development, mining, and logging
  • Revoked Keystone XL permit
  • Used the CRA to reverse the Trump administration Methane rule, restoring stronger Obama era standards.
  • EPA proposed new methane rule stricter than Obama rule, would reduce 41 million tons of methane emissions by 2035
  • Partnered with the EU to create the Global Methane Pledge, which over 100 countries have signed, to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels
  • US-EU trade deal to reward clean steel and aluminum and penalize dirty production
  • Ended US funding for new coal and fossil fuel projects overseas, and prioritized funding towards clean energy projects
  • G7 partnership for “Build Back Better World” – to fund $100s of billions in climate friendly infrastructure in developing countries
  • Restoring California’s ability to set stricter climate requirements
  • Signed EO on Climate Related Financial Risk that instructs rule making agencies to take climate change related risk into consideration when writing rules and regulations.
  • $100M for environmental justice initiatives
  • $1.1B for Everglades restoration
  • $100M for environmental justice initiatives
  • $1.1B for Everglades restoration
  • 30 GW Offshore Wind Plan, incl:
  • Largest ever offshore wind lease sale in NY and NJ
  • Offshore wind lease sale in California
  • Expedited reviews of Offshore Wind Projects
  • $3B in DOE loans for offshore wind projects
  • $230M in port infrastructure for Offshore wind
  • Solar plan to reduce cost of solar by more than 50% by 2030 including $128M in funding to lower costs and improve performance of solar technology
  • Multi-agency partnership to expedite clean energy projects on federal land
  • Instructed Dept of Energy to strengthen appliance efficiency rules
  • Finalized rule to prevent cheating on efficiency standards
  • Finalized rule to expedite appliance efficiency standards
  • Repealed Federal Architecture EO that made sustainable federal buildings harder to build
  • Reversed size cuts and restored protections to Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monuments
  • Restoring NEPA regulations to take into account climate change and environmental impacts in federal permitting
  • Extended public health emergency through at least April 15, 2022
  • $50B in funding for FEMA for COVID Disaster Relief including vaccine funding
  • Set 100% FEMA reimbursement to states for COVID costs, retroactively to start of pandemic
  • $47.8B for testing
  • $1.75B for COVID genome sequencing
  • $8.5B to CDC for vaccines
  • $7.6B to state and local health depts
  • $7.6B to community health centers
  • $6B to Indian Health Services
  • $17B to the VA, including $1B to forgive veteran medical debt
  • $3B to address mental health and substance abuse
  • Over 500 million vaccine shots administered in a year
  • Established 90,000 free vaccination sites
  • Raised federal reimbursement from $23 to $40 per shot for vaccine sites
  • 6000 troops deployed for initial vaccination
  • Cash incentives, free rides, and free childcare for initial vaccination drive
  • 400 million vaccines donated internationally, 1.2 billion committed
  • $2B contribution to COVAX for global vaccinations
  • Funded expansion of vaccine manufacturing in India and South Africa
  • Implemented vaccine mandate for federal employees, contractors, and employees at healthcare providers that receive Medicare/Medicaid funding.
  • •Implemented vaccine/test mandate for large businesses (SC struck down)
  • Invoked DPA for testing, vaccine, PPE manufacturing
  • Federal mask mandate for federal buildings, federal employees, and public transportation
  • Implemented test requirement for international travel
  • Implemented joint FDA-NIH expedited process to approve at home tests more quickly
  • Over 20,000 free federal testing sites
  • 8 at home tests per month required to be reimbursed by insurance
  • 1B at home tests available for free by mail
  • 50M at home tests available free at community health centers
  • 25M high quality reusable masks for low-income residents in early 2021
  • 400M free N95 masks at pharmacies and health centers
  • Military medical teams deployed to help overburdened hospitals
  • Rejoined the WHO
  • Ended the ban on trans soldiers in the military
  • Reversed Trump admin limits on Bostock ruling and fully enforced it
  • Prohibited discrimination against LGBTQ patients in healthcare
  • Prohibited discrimination against LGBTQ families in housing under the Fair Housing Act
  • Prohibited discrimination against LGBTQ people in the financial system to access loans or credit
  • Justice Department declared that Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in education.
  • Revoked ban on Federal Diversity Training
  • Instructed the VA to review its policies to remove barriers to care for trans veterans
  • First Senate confirmed LGBTQ Cabinet Secretary
  • First trans person confirmed by the Senate
  • Extended birthright citizenship to children of same sex couples born abroad
  • State Department allows X gender marker on passport for non-binary Americans
  • Banned new contracts with private prisons for criminal prisons
  • Justice Department reestablished the use of consent degrees with police departments
  • Pattern and Practice investigation into Phoenix, Louisville, and Minneapolis
  • Banned chokeholds and limited no-knock raids among federal law enforcement
  • Initiative to ban modern day redlining
  • Doubled DOJ Civil Rights Division staff
  • Increase percentage of federal contract for small disadvantaged businesses from 5% to 15% ($100B in additional contracts over 5 years)
  • Sued TX and GA over voting laws. Sued TX over abortion law. Sued GA over prison abuse.
  • Signed law making Juneteenth a federal holiday
  • Signed EO to use the federal government to improve voting access through federal programs and departments.
  • Signed COVID-19 Hate Crime Act, which made more resources available to support the reporting of hate crimes
  • Signed EO for diversity in the federal workplace
  • Increased federal employment opportunities for previously incarcerated persons
  • Banned ghost guns
  • New regulations on pistol-stabilizing braces
  • First annual gun trafficking report in 20 years
  • New zero tolerance policy for gun dealers who willfully violate the law
  • Signed COPS act, ensuring confidentiality for peer counseling for police officers
  • Signed Protecting America’s First Responders Act, expediting benefits for officers disabled in the line of duty
  • Signed bill making it a crime to harm US law enforcement overseas
  • Student loan freeze through April 30th, 2022
  • Changed criteria so an additional 1.14M borrowers qualified for the loan pause (retroactively forgave interest and penalties)
  • Forgiven $11.5B in student loans for disabled students, students who were defrauded, and PSLF
  • Fixed PSLF so that it is much easier for previous payments to apply.
  • Determined that the paused months will apply to PSLF
  • Student loan debt forgiveness is tax free through 2025
  • Ended Border Wall emergency and cancelled all new border wall construction and contracts
  • Repealed Trump’s Muslim Ban
  • Set FY 2022 refugee cap to 125,000, the highest in almost 30 years
  • Prohibiting ICE from conducting workplace raids
  • Family reunification taskforce to reunite separated families. Reunited over 100+ families and gave them status to stay in US
  • Granted or extended TPS for Haitians, Venezuelans, Syrians, and Liberians
  • Lifted moratorium on green cards and immigrant visas
  • Ended use of public charge rule to deny green cards
  • Loosened the criteria to qualify for asylum
  • Changed ICE enforcement priorities
  • Reinitiated the CAM Refugee program for Northern Triangle minors to apply for asylum from their home countries
  • $1B+ in public aid and private investment for addressing the root causes of migration
  • Ended family detention of immigrants and moved towards other monitoring
  • HHS prohibited working with ICE on enforcement for sponsors of unaccompanied minors
  • Got rid of harder citizenship test
  • Allowed certain visas to be obtained without an in person consulate interview
  • Rescinded “metering” policy that limited migrants at ports of entry
  • Ended the War in Afghanistan
  • First time in 20 years US not involved in a war
  • Ended support for Saudi offensive operations in Yemen
  • Airstrikes down 54% in 2021 from 2020.
  • Issued policy restricting drone strikes outside of warzones
  • Restored $235M in aid to Palestinians
  • AUKUS defense pact with Australia and UK
  • New rules to counter extremism within the military
  • Signed law funding capitol police and Afghan Refugees
  • EO on competitiveness to write consumer friendly rules, such as right to repair
  • EO on improving government experience, incl
  • Social Security benefits will be able to be claimed online
  • Passports can be renewed online
  • Makes it easier for low-income families to apply for benefits
  • Increase telehealth options
  • WIC recipients can use benefits online
  • $7.25B in additional PPP funds
  • Signed PPP extension law to extend the program for 2 months
  • Changed criteria to make it easier for small and minority businesses to qualify for PPP loans
  • $29 Restaurant Recovery Fund to recover lost revenue
  • $1.25B Shuttered Venue fund
  • $10.4B for agriculture
  • 30 year bailout of multiemployer pension funds that protects millions of pensions through 2051.
  • Pro-labor majority appointed to NLRB
  • Established task force to promote unionization
  • Restored collective bargaining right for federal employees
  • Negotiated deal for West Coast Ports to run 24/7 to ease supply chain
  • Signed EO to secure and strengthen supply chains
  • Investing $1B in small food processors to combat meat prices
  • Extended 15% SNAP benefit increase through Sept 30, 2021
  • Made 12 million previously ineligible beneficiaries eligible for the increase
  • Public health emergency helps keep benefits in place
  • Largest permanent increase in SNAP benefit history, raising permanent benefits by 27% ($20B per year)
  • Made school lunches free through for all through the 2021-2022 school year
  • Extended the Pandemic EBT program
  • Largest ever summer food program in 2021 provided 34 million students with $375 for meals over the summer.
  • Restarted the FHA-HFA risk sharing program to finance affordable housing development
  • Raised Fannie/Freddie’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit from $1B to $1.7B a year to invest in affordable housing
  • $383M CMF grant program for affordable housing production
  • Prioritizing owner-occupants and non-profits as purchasers of FHA-insured and Distressed HUD properties, rather than large investors
  • Paid a 10% retention incentive to permanent federal firefighters and a $1000 bonus to seasonal firefighters
  • Transitioned hundreds of federal firefighters from part time to full time and hired hundreds more
  • $28.6B in supplemental disaster relief approved for natural disasters
  • $8.7B in funding to increase lending to minority communities
  • Released $1.3B in Puerto Rico disaster aid previously held up by Trump admin and removed restrictions on $8.2B housing disaster aid
  • Forgave $371M in community disaster loans in PR
  • Released $912M in previously withheld education aid to PR
  • Permanently made all families in PR eligible for the CTC (previously only families with 3 or more children were)
  • Provided permanent funding to quadruple the size of PRs local earned income tax credit
  • Permanent $3B per year boost to funding for PR’s Medicaid program
  • Raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour for federal contractor, eliminated the minimum wage exception for certain contractor positions, and ended the tipped contractor wage.
  • Ordered the minimum wage for federal employees to be raised to $15 an hour
  • Medicaid drug rebate change to discourage excessive price increases and save Gov $23.5B
  • Incentives for states to expand Medicaid
  • Finalized the rule that bans surprise medical bills for out of network medical services
  • Instituted a moratorium on the federal death penalty

Challenges

Build Back Better

Heat rising, hurricanes, massive fires, arctic melting, drought, pandemic, species extinction, have been disastrous world-wide, causing mass migrations. Rising levels of CO2 are clearly going to get worse. With business as usual, computer models predict collapse within a few years.

A $1.5 trillion bill to upgrade infrastructure, which both parties agreed is needed, will better prepare for more violent climate. Last week, New York subways were inundated. People drowned in their basement apartments. Predictions are that coastal cities and low lying areas will increasingly be more flooded as seal levels rise.

Democrats attempts to pass a $3.5 trillion Build Back Better package were blocked to convert to renewable energy, limit fossil fuel use, and strengthen social programs. A Green New Deal could slow the damage, but the problem requires international cooperation.

These are popular, necessary programs, and it is possible that political polarization and flawed elections will stop them. Republicans deny the science, use downright crazy cures for CoVid, and are determined to defeat HR1 to fix elections so they cannot lose.

Republicans oppose these bills, but this could be humanity’s last chance.

Did Democrats Just Save Civilization ? (8/8/2022)

Abortion and guns may awaken a slumbering giant for Democrats (6/1/2022) Robert Reich the Guardian

Biden’s State of the Union address: a perfect summation of his presidency (3/2/2022) Guardian

From Cradle to Grave, Democrats Move to Expand Social Safety Net (9/6/2021) NYT

Top Ten Reasons Liberals have the High Moral Ground (8/10/2021)

Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy (7/9/2021)

What Kind of Fear Is Stopping Joe Biden? (5/3/2021)

How Democrats Planned for Doomsday (1/24/2021)

BIDEN-SANDERS UNITY TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS (08/2020)

FIRESIDE CHAT WITH BERNIE (3/14/2020)

Democrats May Save Us Yet (12/19/2019)

"the real incomes of middle class families have grown twice as fast under Democrats as they have under Republicans, while the real incomes of working poor families have grown six times as fast under Democrats as they have under Republicans." Larry Bartels, Unequal Democracy, the Political Economy of the New Gilded Age
"The majority of Americans are with us on the policies. Americans support Medicare for All, expanding Social Security benefits, gun reform, debt-free college, and a $15 minimum wage. Bold progressive values are popular EVERYWHERE. Together, we have the people. Together, with your help, we’ll have the votes." Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

New Rules, New Politics (7/2019) Boston Review

How the Democrats Win 2020 (6/28/2019)

Bernie Is Not a Wind Sock (3/25/2019)

Democrats don’t need any more presidential candidates. They need senators. (3/7/2019)

How to Fix the Democratic Party: Senator Bernie Sanders (11/10/2017)

Links

Videos to Share

Democratic Underground

American Family Voices

Bibliography

The Fight of His LIfe, Inside Joe Biden's White House by Chris Whipple

The Fight For The Soul of the Democratic Party by John Nichols.

Death of the Liberal Class; Chris Hedges

America, the Farewell Tour: Chris Hedges

The Emerging Democratic Majority John Judis and Ruy Teixeira (2002)