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Indivisibles,
I’m going to be honest: this is one of those weeks where if it’s not your
job to pay attention to what’s happening in Washington, you might be
confused.
But I’m writing because something really important and inspirational
happened this week - progressives flexed their power to win. And I want to
give you the inside account of how it went down.
Let’s set the scene. About six months ago, Democrats across the party
spectrum agreed that they’d try to move their agenda through two bills: a
bipartisan infrastructure bill (the BIF) and the Build Back Better Act.
The idea was that Dems would work with Republicans on the (very small)
areas of infrastructure where compromise was possible, and then we’d roll
all the really big and important parts of the Democratic agenda -- climate
action, paid family leave and child care, lower prescription drug prices,
a pathway to citizenship, and more -- into one megabill, the Build Back
Better Act, which could pass through the reconciliation process with just
Democratic votes.
The idea behind linking the two bills was simple. Conservative Dems would
get what they wanted (some headlines about bipartisanship, good vibes),
and the rest of us would get what we wanted (THE ACTUAL DEMOCRATIC
AGENDA).
And there was a simple reason the two bills needed to stay linked: because
conservative Democrats (and their corporate donors) seemed suspiciously
eager to just pass the BIF and then abandon everything else. Based on
their behavior, we had every reason to suspect that if they got what they
wanted first, they’d leave the Build Back Better plan high and dry.
In August, after the Senate passed the BIF, things started to get hairy. A
revolt by conservative Democrats in the House forced Speaker Pelosi to
schedule a vote on the BIF for the end of September. The conservative
Democrats claimed they just wanted to pass the BIF as fast as possible --
but it was painfully obvious that their real goal was to tank the Build
Back Better plan by delinking the two bills (their corporate donors even
confirmed it).
For the next month, conservative Democrats pretty much refused to bargain
at all on the Build Back Better plan. Why should they? They figured they’d
get what they wanted when the BIF vote happened. Progressives would fold,
the bill would pass, and Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema could declare
themselves done with legislating for the year and go hang out on their
respective [ [link removed] ]yachts and [ [link removed] ]vineyards.
But that is NOT what happened this week.
Why? Because the Congressional Progressive Caucus, led by the fearless
Representative Pramila Jayapal, was ready for this moment. They could see
the writing on the wall, and they understood that if BIF passed *without*
the Build Back Better Act, everything we care about -- including the
agenda nearly all Democrats ran on and voters elected them for -- would be
doomed. And so they did something big and brave. They organized, as a
bloc, to temporarily withhold their votes for the BIF. More than 60
Democrats ultimately agreed that they weren’t going to vote for the BIF
until the final version of the Build Back Better act was negotiated out
and passed through the House and Senate.
The message was clear: if conservatives want their infrastructure bill,
they’re going to have to work with the rest of the party to first pass the
majority of the Build Back Better Agenda.
In short, progressives used their power to fight for all of us - and to
save President Biden’s agenda. Because let’s be real: we are going to need
to deliver on more than roads and bridges during this rare, crucial
trifecta. Democrats campaigned on climate action, lower prescription drug
prices, building an economy that delivers for working families, not just
the rich and powerful, and more. The Build Back Better plan is the real
heart of the Biden agenda; its passage or failure will define Biden as a
President. And as a result of progressives flexing their power, we are now
in a stronger place to win it.
So our next step is clear: we need to have progressives’ backs as they
work to negotiate an agreement. They’re sitting at that table with two
things: the ambition to deliver for communities, and the flexibility to
land an agreement. The louder we are in backing them, and the more we keep
pressuring the conservative Democratic holdouts, the better that final
deal will be.
What’s next? Glad you asked:
TODAY: Take some time to decompress! The last few months have been a long,
hard slog of legislation, and while there’s nobody we’d rather be doing it
with, the good company doesn’t make it less exhausting! Light some
candles, take a walk around the block, have a 60-second dance party, cook
a great dinner with your loved ones. Whatever you do, make sure to enjoy
this moment, because what we’ve done together, although it’s not finished
yet, is a massive win for people all over this country.
TOMORROW: March for Roe! This weekend, activists all over the country will
be marching to defend the right to abortion, spurred by the horrific new
Texas anti-abortion law. [ [link removed] ]Click here to find a march near you, dig out
your protest signs, and don’t forget your mask. (This isn’t
reconciliation-related, but it is important and should also be fun.)
MONDAY: Unfortunately, the fight to pass Build Back Better isn’t done. We
still need to hold the line in the House and Senate and make sure both BIF
and reconciliation pass, together. [ [link removed] ]Click here to call your Member of
Congress and [ [link removed] ]then click here to call your Senators. Tell all three you
expect them to support the reconciliation package and to vote to pass it
before they move BIF forward.
None of this would have happened without Indivisibles who put work in for
days, months, and years on end to build a strong progressive block in the
House. None of it would have happened without the hundreds of phone calls
we made to support the progressive bloc and ensure the conservatives knew
we were watching them. None of it would have happened without YOU. Thank
you.
In solidarity,
Leah Greenberg
Co-Executive Director, Indivisible
P.S. Want to be up to date on breaking news as it happens? Text
INDIVISIBLE to 97779 and we’ll add you to our mobile rapid response team.
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