This Is A Big Win For Democrats
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Joe Biden has two immediate goals: to control the pandemic and to make the benefits of the economy more generally available. He said it in his victory speech this morning: How do we give you some breathing room? Where “you” represents the American people, and “breathing room” means protection from disease and some financial security.
Rolling out the vaccines is a big part of getting the pandemic under control, but the Republican willingness to die in order to obstruct progress has slowed things down.
Biden’s legislative program is aimed at financial security for everyone and broadening the job market. The American Rescue Plan, passed last year, has already greatly decreased poverty in the United States. What started out as the American Jobs Plan and got split into the bipartisan infrastructure act (BIF) and the Build Back Better Act (BBB or BBBA). Roughly, BIF is asphalt and concrete, and BBBA is human infrastructure.
My concern about the two acts is that we must improve the economy to have a hope of winning Congress next year. If we don’t win Congress next year, there’s a good chance we’ll get a Republican For Life in 2024. Last week’s votes were too close, and the media is settling on a narrative of “Dems can’t get it done.” The timing of BIF passage is good. During the next year, signs will go up around the country: “This [bridge improvement/ road resurfacing/ increase in internet availability/ new tunnel from NJ to NYC/ etc] is brought to you by President Biden’s and [local member of Congress’s] Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.”
Even if the BBBA doesn’t pass (and there is reason to believe it can), the Democrats will have made people’s lives better in ways that matter. That can make a difference in next year’s election.
This thread lays out my sense of the politics. It’s long, so I’ll post highlights and add a few comments.
I disagree slightly. The Squad could have made their point by voting no, and then showed themselves to be loyal Democrats when a majority was reached by changing their votes to yes. That’s a traditional way to do it, and it may be outmoded in today’s Congress.