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Shortening programs won't help Democrats build back better
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The Build Back Better Framework released by the White House on Oct. 28 would make some potentially transformative investments in American society. But those investments are severely weakened because most are scheduled to expire after only a few years to make the 10-year cost of the bill seem smaller than it really is.
Advocates of this tactic hope that these temporary programs will prove so popular that a future Congress will extend them. But this risky bet would make it easier for a Republican-controlled Congress to kill the Democrats’ accomplishments without actually addressing the concerns of their fiscally pragmatic members.
While today’s lawmakers may like their own proposals, they cannot be sure that a future Congress will continue funding programs that are scheduled to expire. Making the Democratic agenda temporary empowers Republicans who want to repeal it.
Shortening programs won't help
Democrats build back better
by Ben Ritz & Brendan McDermott
for The Hill
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Hot Off the Press
New York Times: Global Climate Summit Begins in Glasgow as Peril of Warming Planet Grows
“Even as most democracies are making ambitious climate commitments, the world’s most powerful autocrats in Beijing, Moscow and elsewhere are thumbing their noses, refusing to cut their emissions and even to show up at climate negotiations,” said Paul Bledsoe, who advised the Clinton White House on climate change and is now with the Progressive Policy Institute.
Daily Beast: Biden’s White House Worries: Will Dems Take ‘Yes’ for an Answer?
Will Marshall, CEO of the Progressive Policy Institute, said on the likelihood of passing comprehensive voting rights legislation, “That's really not an option, is it? We'll all be disappointed, but the obstacles Republicans have put in the way of voting aren't insuperable. At this point, there are really just four states that have gone down this anti-democratic rathole: Georgia, Texas, Florida and Iowa. Democrats should ask Stacey Abrams to lead a four-state campaign to foil the Republican plot to keep Americans from voting.”
USA Today: COP26: American climate credibility in question at UN summit with Biden's agenda in flux
Paul Bledsoe, a former Clinton White House climate adviser now with the Progressive Policy Institute, conceded the framework is not as ambitious as Biden's initial plan but said it's enough for Biden to proclaim U.S. leadership at the summit. "While it doesn't have all provisions climate advocates had hoped, the domestic clean energy and infrastructure measures in the deal announced by the president will be by far the most important actions the United States has ever taken to combat the climate crisis," Bledsoe said.
American Banker: Most small banks say they'd refuse to sell to credit union on principle
“The animosity between banks and credit unions is significant, and something policymakers should not underestimate,” said Paul Weinstein, a senior advisor at IntraFi Network [and the Progressive Policy Institute], which conducted the survey.
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ICYMI – Ben Ritz, Director of the Center for Funding America’s Future, joined the Radically Pragmatic podcast to give listeners a walk through of the current state of play in Congress, top priorities for building back better, and how PPI's must-read blueprint offers a bold and pragmatic solution to the current stalemate.
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ICYMI – How common is pollution in the United States, and what kind of practical impact does it have? Economist Claudia Persico joins the podcast to discuss her new report for PPI's Innovation Frontier Project, titled "How Exposure To Pollution Quietly Shapes The American Workforce And Economy." We discuss the ways in which pollution impacts our health, our economy, our children, and more.
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Don't Miss These PPI Events
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COMING UP: Digital Trade in the European Union
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Join CSIS and PPI's Chief Economist Dr. Michael Mandel for a conversation about the anticipated impact of EU regulatory proposals on businesses in Europe and the United States.
Panelists will discuss the future of innovation Europe, the transatlantic trade and technology relationship, and the business models of successful U.S. technology companies operating in Europe. RSVP here!
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Don't Miss These PPI Reports
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Reconciling with Reality: Top Priorities for Building Back Better
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From PPI's Center for Funding America's Future:
“When combined with the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill, this package would represent the third pillar of the largest and most progressive public investment since the Great Society over 50 years ago," said PPI's Ben Ritz in "Reconciling With Reality."
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