Unrepresentative Policy of the Week: Policy Not Bipartisanship If there is one thing Democrats like Biden seem to prize, it is "bipartisanship" for their key legislation. Remember, that Obama spent months and enormous political energy trying to get Republicans on board for the Affordable Care Act. In that effort, he made it a much worse bill, jettisoning critical proposals like the public option. And how many Republican votes did he get in the end? Zero! Now Joe Biden and the Democrats seem tempted to follow a similar trajectory, negotiating against themselves on their popular infrastructure policies, The American Jobs Plan (AJP) and the American Families Plan (AFP), in the vain hope that some few Republicans will join them. Whose interests are even being served here? What constituency is eager to see desperately needed policy stymied by the quixotic quest for bipartisan support? Not the American people, that’s for sure: Do you support or oppose passing the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan together through reconciliation?
Support Oppose
All voters 53 84
Democrat 82 10
Independent 54 37
Republican 33 60
When told what was in each of these policies, totaling in nearly $4 Trillion in investment, and described the parliamentary process of reconciliation, which doesn’t require bipartisan support, just a simple majority, the American people are clear they want these policies passed! What’s more, although it might appear from this first question, that Republicans support bipartisanship, when Democrats and independents don’t, this follow-up question should disabuse one of that notion quickly: Do you think that the goal of Republicans in Congress should be to work with President Biden to pass his agenda or should Republicans do what McConnell says and do every they can to stop Biden 100%
Support Oppose
All voters 55 37
Democrat 86 4
Independent 54 35
Republican 19 73
Republican politicians are representing their voters in the nihilistic quest to prove government cannot serve the people in any meaningful way. Biden and the Dems need to listen to their own constituency, the vast majority of the American people, who want a government that once again lives up to its promise of providing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to its people. That starts by realizing that trying to work with bad faith actors cannot produce the kind of consensus so desired by Democratic law makers . Instead, the Democrats need to boldly plant their flag in support of the AFP and AJP, and seek to represent the bipartisan will of the people who still believe in government! As ever, the Democrats either can’t, or won’t do it alone. It will take massive, sustained organizing to push these changes through! So join us each Tuesday, as we build our economic power, until we can force the Democrats to help the American people, and thus themselves. Don't Shop on Tuesdays!
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