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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,111 posts)
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 07:56 PM Oct 2021

Progressives say go big and make life hard for GOP

Progressives have a new argument for why their push for a broad array of social benefit programs is the right approach for President Biden and Democrats: It will put Republicans in a prickly spot if they fight to end the benefits down the road.

Liberals maintain that once voters receive federal perks like expanded child tax credits and Medicare, family leave and free college tuition, they will demand that Congress extend those benefits when it comes time for them to sunset.

They point to former President Obama's Affordable Care Act as the blueprint.

That bill was unpopular when it passed but became politically difficult for Republicans to unwind, even when they held the White House and both chambers of Congress.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/progressives-say-go-big-and-make-life-hard-for-gop/ar-AAPAZ6Y

I agree.

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Celerity

(42,666 posts)
1. "It would be very hard for people to take things away, and that's part of our goal," said Rep. Mark
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 08:04 PM
Oct 2021
Pocan (D-Wis.), another leading progressive. "Once people see how popular these things are ... many of these debates are the same debates we had when you created Social Security and other programs. And once people got them, you saw how wildly popular [they were]. We think some of these are going to be in that wildly popular category."

"That's why we want to keep them out there, even if it's for a little bit of shortened time, because once people start to see it," they will support it, Pocan continued. "The child tax credit is a classic example. I mean [look] how popular it is right now; it's a lot easier for us to extend that out."


Raven123

(4,716 posts)
2. The votes aren't there. Progressives and ManSinema are talking past each other
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 08:18 PM
Oct 2021

Time to get a deal and pass it. Both sides digging in is just fodder for the media and demoralizing for the voters. Regardless of whether the progressive policies are popular in the polls, they haven’t proven powerful enough to move ManSinema and I doubt anything will change. I haven’t seen a powerful, coordinated PR campaign that might convince voters to pressure their representatives in Congress.

FoxNewsSucks

(10,378 posts)
9. There was a deal.
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 08:43 PM
Oct 2021

Progressives lived up to their word.

I'd like to know why there has been no massive media campaign to let voters know what ManSinema and whoever they represent want to deny us of

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
6. Pramily Jayapal has said she'd prefer passing nothing to settling
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 08:37 PM
Oct 2021

for less than her subgroup wants.

Nothing.

Achieve nothing.

Go into the 2022 election having failed dramatically to come through on our promises to the electorate.

In the reconciliation bill alone that could mean:
No to any extended child income tax credit (currently $250-300/mo) lifting millions out of poverty.
No to any big climate programs.
No to 2 years of free community college.
No to any universal pre-K and child care assistance for 0-5.
No to any Medicare expansion to dental, vision, and hearing.
No to any prescription drug price cut.
No to any paid family and medical leave.
No to funding of small business loans for those formerly incarcerated.
No to funding local intervention programs to combat domestic violence
No to many, many other provisions.

This is something we need to be aware of. The biggest difference between those on the far left and other Democrats isn't in what we want but that the far left can be willng to lose everything, and sees that as a virtue. Just as some in the Progressive caucus -- making $174,000/year -- felt it would be wrong to raise the minimum wage to $12 from $7.25 and preferred no increase at all to settling for less than $15. (Full time on $7.25 is @$14,500/yr.)

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
19. Failing to achieve would be disastrous. The naivete seems
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 09:35 PM
Oct 2021

to lie largely in not being able to understand that most people couldn't kick over a table piled with important things the people really need, walk away with nothing, and feel they'd done the only right thing.

That peculiar ability is unique to them -- and to their counterparts in the Republicans' far-right Freedom Caucus, who are famous for sabotaging Boehner's and McCarthy's plans and control of their caucus. We don't mind that on the other side, of course.

Rep. Jayapal has only been in congress a couple years, and I imagine Pelosi and the rest of Jayapal's colleagues will help bring her and her allies safely through this brinksmanship. But people here really need to understand the potential for disaster and that if everything went wrong they could carry out their threat. They made it because it's not impossible for them.

mvd

(65,148 posts)
10. Completely agreed
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 08:47 PM
Oct 2021

Unfortunately due to Manchin and Sinema we may not get what we need. We need to make inroads and take seats from Repukes so we have a bigger margin. The problem is the time for action is now. Very frustrating.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
13. You're so right that the time for action is now, and if we fail to act
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 08:56 PM
Oct 2021

it will pass and with it everything we could achieve. It typically takes years for the stars to once again align to create times like this.

azureblue

(2,131 posts)
20. we need to
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 10:42 PM
Oct 2021

1 - investigate Manchin's daughter's drug company for price gouging, and look for links to Manchin himself. Also look for links between the bribery money he gets from big coal and his votes.

2 - Investigate Sinema for corruption and receiving bribes.

Do it now - bring heat on them got and fast They want to play hard ball, then so shall we.

druidity33

(6,435 posts)
12. fund EVERYTHING for 5 years...
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 08:53 PM
Oct 2021

that cuts the cost to 1.75 trill. Make extending the programs contingent upon electing Democrats.


ailsagirl

(22,838 posts)
16. Repukes been doing that since Gingrich unleashed his powers
Sat Oct 16, 2021, 09:24 PM
Oct 2021

And a major part of his message was, "go as low as you need as long as it wounds the Dems."
Another part was, "lying is encouraged."

Aren't we better than that??

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