After Republican Glen Youngkin won the Virginia governor's race, a few conservatives are questioning their party's mandate to deliver change.
The Build Back Better Act, an ambitious attempt to create jobs, strengthen the US social safety net, and address climate change, is hanging in the balance. The package has been reduced to appease conservatives, but it would make it the most significant anti-poverty program in half a century.
Some in the party are trying to get some breaks. "No one elected Joe Biden to be FDR," said Virginia Rep. Alison Spanberger. He was elected to be normal.
The man is mistaken. More affordable health care, prescription drugs, child care, and elder care, as well as monthly payments for parents, investments in clean energy, and more, are all included in the plan's provisions.
The bill was passed by the House. The Democrats need to focus on passing the bill, not stripping it down.
Pays for itself.
It's paid for by a fair taxation of the rich, which is very popular.
A majority of Americans support these measures, including a majority of independents and a majority of Republicans. The majority of US voters want a new normal, and this is not only Biden's agenda.
Youngkin won where he shouldn't have, New Jersey's Democratic governor was narrowly reelected, and only Donald Trump was more unpopular than Joe Biden.
Most voters don't know that Democrats are trying to do all this. The mainstream media has mostly focused on the cost and infighting of the Democrats, instead of telling voters what's actually on the agenda in Washington. The focus is not accurate or honest.
A survey that shows overwhelming support for elements of the Better Act also shows that barely a third of voters think anything in it will help them. The problem of people not knowing what's in the bill was the subject of a recent seminar held by Sen.
More voters have heard about the bill. The bill's cost is now closer to $1.85 trillion, but 60% say they know it.
The investments represent a fraction of what we spend on the Pentagon, and barely a drop of water in the sea of money poured into militarism since 9/11. The net cost of the law is closer to $0.
The plan is more than paid for because the bill raises revenue from taxing millionaires, billionaires, and profitable corporations. Over the next 10 years, it raises enough money to start paying down the federal debt.
The plan won't contribute to inflation according to 15 economists. The bill makes it easier for Americans to afford things like child care, housing, prescription drugs, and medical expenses by creating good jobs.
The coverage of the debate over the bill feels even more frustrating once you know what's in it.
There's nothing moderate about the obstructionism of Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. They've positioned themselves far outside the US mainstream by limiting the bill's ability to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, raise tax rates on billionaires, and guarantee American workers paid family and medical leave. The opposition to popular ideas is radical.
Negotiating is what democracy is all about. Lawmakers should be listening, incorporating data, and representing voters. The perception of this process has been made worse by the sensationalist news industry.
If Joe Biden was elected to be normal and stop the chaos, then this program would take the first step toward a new normal, away from the chaos of poverty, uncertainty, and climate disruption so many of us are experiencing.
The popular programs in the bill should not be jeopardized. They need to make sure voters know about it.
