For years, I pushed back against the narrative I heard that the two major American political parties were simply different sides of the same coin. I felt that it was evident enough, especially during the Trump administration, that these two groups were fighting for very different things. And to be fair, much of that holds true today — especially conversations in the wake of Jan. 6, 2020. But with the recent introduction of major bills to the floors of each chamber, such as those on infrastructure and an economic package, that coin metaphor has become more profound.
For four years, from November 2016 to November 2020, Democrats won the House, Senate and presidency — a crystal-clear rebuke of how Republicans in Congress were operating. These elections were won on promises of change and progress — not just an alternative to Trumpism, but real and substantial improvement for the country. They have done nothing but disappoint since.
Eliminating student loan debt, granting paid family leave, reducing drug prices, raising corporate taxes and taxes on the wealthy, expanding and strengthening voting rights and taking serious action on climate change were all major campaign promises made by Democrats at every level. None of them have been fulfilled, over a year after the election results came in. Democrats, for all intents and purposes, hold majorities in each chamber and have the opportunity to deliver on hugely popular legislation. Raising taxes on the wealthy has consistently polled above 50%, and often above 60%, alongside issues such as action on climate change. Democrats have the rare opportunity to not only achieve major progress, but to do so in a way that is popular among voters across the country.
Instead, we see a continuation of the trend that has wracked the Democratic Party for years: inaction due to internal division, often without satisfactory explanation. A senator worth millions of dollars, representing a state with less than 1% of the U.S. population, has the power to block legislation that would benefit millions. The perfect visual representation of the broken political system that we call Congress is the image taken of Joe Manchin standing at the back of his $250,000 yacht to tell protestors supporting the reconciliation bill, which would benefit millions of working-class citizens, why it needed to be changed.
Too often, progressive candidates and legislators are blamed for electoral losses. That is nothing more than an embarrassing effort to maintain the status quo of center-right moderation that this country is defined by, even though it is not entirely accurate. It’s time for Democrats to finally deliver on change; not just because it is necessary, but because time is running out. Electoral maps are being gerrymandered, inequalities have been exacerbated to extreme levels, and climate change demands mitigative action. With the uncertainty surrounding the future, and with the opportunity to enact real change, the time for action is now. Get it together.
