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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Not A Different 50th Senate Vote?
Sanders needs to come out and announce that he's the new 50th vote in the Senate. Now, I'm NOT suggesting he hold his breath until he turns blue, or call anybody names, but merely establish a new negotiating position.
He needs to urge the House Progressives NOT to vote for the anti-worker, anti-consumer, debt-busting, corporate Repub bill, until the Senate passes the BBB with vision, hearing, and dental are added to Medicare, with paid family leave, and negotiated prescription drug prices, and possibly more.
He can ask some VERY embarrassing questions. The American people, particularly those in WV and AZ, approve of all the different plans in the BBB proposal, including in WV and AZ.
Why are two Senators OPPOSING what their constituents want?
Why are two Senators spouting false propaganda? The cost of the BBB proposal is ZERO, as it is completely paid for, so the claims that it is too big or too expensive are BOGUS. The claim that it would be inflationary is BOGUS.
He can claim this is what President Biden campaigned on and was elected on, and what the American people want by VERY wide margins.
The best part is, the Corporate Dems can't blame the Progressive Dems, as Bernie IS NOT A DEMOCRAT. They can use the Corporate Dem tactic that Sanders doesn't represent us, but we agree with his agenda.
wellst0nev0ter
(7,509 posts)The other side of the Democratic party have revealed themselves to be empty suits who don't actually follow what's popular but instead dance to the tune of what their deep pocketed donors want.
And it's sad that too many people on this board choose to give these bad actors cover rather than demand that they support Biden's agenda.
AZProgressive
(29,322 posts)He could have went after Biden during the primary like his advisors wanted but he knew that tactic would backfire and he didnt want to be responsible for Biden losing in case he did.
I can see him doing this earlier in his career but he has built a lot of power for himself working with other Democrats. He still fights hard for his agenda but I can see this backfiring especially when it comes to the not a Democrat stuff. I say this as someone who defended him for 5 years.
It would backfire if a Dem did it. It can't backfire because Sanders isn't a Dem. The Corporate Dems can't blame the Progressive Dems, which you know damn well they would if it were a Progressive Dem doing it.
manicdem
(390 posts)The infrastructure deal is opposed by most republicans. I believe only a dozen or so repubs voted for it. And Manchun said he'd be fine if the BBB didn't pass. So that's not going to work.
WHITT
(2,868 posts)Autumn
(45,120 posts)those in WV and AZ want and how their needs are being ignored by those who supposedly represent them. He has been out there pushing and working for Biden's agenda. Compared to those other two I say thank dog Bernie is NOT A DEMOCRAT.
Scrivener7
(51,007 posts)brooklynite
(94,728 posts)is anti-worker, anti-consumer, debt-busting,
been there, done that umpteen times, but just one major glaring example:
The bill funds public/private partnerships, which is simply corporate welfare, where they build roads, but charge tolls that workers and consumers have to pay to the corporations for the rest of their lives, build bridges and charge tolls that workers and consumers have to pay to the corporations for the rest of their lives, take water owned by communities and then sell it back to them at greatly inflated prices for the rest of their lives.
Workers and consumers will pay tens of billions in tolls and tens of billions in fees to corporations.
The CBO scored the bill as adding hundreds of billions to the federal debt, and that's without the fake 56 billion from 'dynamic scoring' which has never happened and never will.
brooklynite
(94,728 posts)Well-crafted DBOM arrangements result in lower capital costs and faster delivery of transportation services.
nb - youre aware that basically ALL of the projects funded by the Infrastrcture Bill will be contracted out to the private sector, right? Government agencies dont have construction teams standing by to build things.
WHITT
(2,868 posts)contracting work or projects out to the private sector with Corporate Welfare.
Other than the expenditure of taxpayer's money, the American people do not pay any additional tolls or fees when projects are contracted out.
Whereas, with public/private partnerships, the American people keep paying, and paying, and paying to corporations, for the rest of their lives. Pure Corporate Welfare.
Yikes.
brooklynite
(94,728 posts)Ive never understood why people assume that driving (highways, bridges or tunnels) should be free.
WHITT
(2,868 posts)'The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highway System' would disagree.
brooklynite
(94,728 posts)which helped to ruin the public transportation system in America. Is that a benefit.
BradAllison
(1,879 posts)And the people who are on here every day trashing him while always making excuses for West Virginia Joe and the Desert Cinnebon in the same breath know it.
George II
(67,782 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)is missing on my screen but appears where you'd expect it when I search for him.
George II
(67,782 posts)....both he and Sinema, along with a total of 35 Senators (including those two), they're at 100%.
#50 screams out at me though.
lapucelle
(18,319 posts)in the Senate when it comes to voting for Biden's agenda.
And that's in a state that Biden won by +35.
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The fiery independent from Vermont is actually dead last on the "votes with Biden" list. Both Manchin and Sinema have 100% records.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/
George II
(67,782 posts)I think it's been posted here somewhere.
WHITT
(2,868 posts)But not in conjunction with announcing he's the new 50th vote.
lapucelle
(18,319 posts)among Democrats and Independents in voting with and in support of the president and his agenda.
He doesn't need to make an announcement. His record speaks for him.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/
George II
(67,782 posts)WHITT
(2,868 posts)You may want to actually READ the OP.
George II
(67,782 posts)16. Of Course
But not in conjunction with announcing he's the new 50th vote.
my post states just the opposite of what you're claiming.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)and it does seem like the moment of truth is at hand for those he's disappointing, maybe it's time for a new populist leader, LW class struggle type of course.
In Sanders' defense, the working class voters he wishes to serve chose Biden, and Sanders chose to both serve their needs and fight off fascism as part of the Biden administration. But of course that's not revolution.
George II
(67,782 posts)As the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to vote on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has become one of the most forceful advocates of its defeat.
Passing the more limited measure now, he has argued, would end all leverage that progressives have to convince moderates in the U.S. Senate to support a far more ambitious, $3.5 trillion package that has become the centerpiece of President Joe Bidens domestic agenda.
But so far, at least, Sanders has failed to convince the sole member of the House hailing from own state: U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. In an interview with VTDigger on Wednesday, Welch said he planned to back the infrastructure bill if it came to a vote on Thursday.
Our democracy is at stake, said Welch, a member of the House Progressive Caucus. My Republican colleagues are making an argument that government doesnt work. Im doing everything I can to build trust in government by passing legislation that will help people back home, like with an infrastructure bill.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)more zealous/radical sorts are famous for as leverage. But it's important to note that to this point they've been using it to get the Democratic Party's BIDEN PLAN passed, as much of it as possible. They haven't gone off the team to insert their personal demands, for instance. And we all have more we'd like in it.
Jayapal and a third of her caucus did alarm by threatening to trash both bills in their entirety. If they meant it, that'd mean a group of extremists capable of destroying everything were threatening to from inside the Democratic Party. Extremists have already taken over the GOP, and sabotaging control of our party, and its ability to come through on promises to the electorate, could ultimately be fatal. Alarming worst case.
But, a congressional scholar on O'Donnell last night believed it was coming along and predicted that once all 50 senators committed to passing the reconciliation package, the house's delays would also resolve. (And then Pelosi would hold both bills in the house rather than send to Biden as "leverage" on senate Republicans to pass the reconciliation package. Sigh.)
In any case, today Sanders is reported as "signaling" the house to hold off the vote until all 50 senators commit to passing the reconciliation package. Again.
So, so far looks as if Sanders is invested in passing this historic progressive legislation, which, incidentally, would be, by far, the most significant achievement on his own legacy.
George II
(67,782 posts)....vote for the reconciliation package. That's why Biden went to the House yesterday to speak with the remaining holdouts.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)was once enough among senators, but many no longer even pretend to be even close to one.
JustAnotherGen
(31,886 posts)Than Sinema and Manchin.