[ Democrats must adopt "a whole-of-government approach" if they
are to fulfill their promises to act on the climate crisis, sky-high
prescription drug prices, immigration reform, student debt, and other
key policy priorities.] [[link removed]]
PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS URGES BIDEN TO WIELD 'POWERFUL TOOL OF EXECUTIVE
ACTION' AS AGENDA STALLS
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Jake Johnson
December 22, 2021
Common Dreams
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_ Democrats must adopt "a whole-of-government approach" if they are
to fulfill their promises to act on the climate crisis, sky-high
prescription drug prices, immigration reform, student debt, and other
key policy priorities. _
Coal Miners Union Rebukes Manchin for Effort to Kill Build Back
Better. "Manchin has lost the coal miners with this latest betrayal,"
said one labor reporter. (Sen. Joe Manchin and United Mine Workers of
America President Cecil Roberts hold a press , conference Oct 3, 2017)
- Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call // Common Dreams
THE CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS on Wednesday announced plans to
unveil a slate of executive actions it hopes President Joe Biden will
pursue as Democratic lawmakers attempt to chart a path forward for the
party's agenda, which has been derailed
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right-wing Sen. Joe Manchin.
"We should not wait for that legislative path for the president to
take action."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive
Caucus, said in a statement
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Democrats must adopt "a whole-of-government approach" if they are to
fulfill their promises to act on the climate crisis, sky-high
prescription drug prices, immigration reform, student debt, and other
key policy priorities.
"In Congress, we will continue to prioritize a legislative path for
Build Back Better, focused on taking the current text of the
legislation passed by the House, keeping as much of it as
possible—but no less than the elements contained in the framework
negotiated by the president and committed to by Senators Manchin and
[Kyrsten] Sinema some months ago," Jayapal said. "We have worked too
long and too hard to give up now, and we have no intention of doing
so."
"In the meantime, the White House must continue to act on a parallel
track by using the president's incredibly powerful tool of executive
action," the Washington Democrat added. "The legislative approach,
while essential, has no certainty of timing or results—and we simply
cannot wait to deliver tangible relief to people that they can feel
and will make a difference in their lives and livelihoods."
Jayapal signaled during a press call earlier this week that the nearly
100-member CPC would emphasize Biden's executive authority in the
coming days after Manchin—a coal profiteer backed by torrents
of corporate cash
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he would oppose the current version of the Build Back Better Act, a
centerpiece of the president's agenda.
"I think, at this point, we should not wait for that legislative path
for the president to take action," Jayapal said on the call with
reporters, during which she defended
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caucus' near-unanimous decision to vote for the bipartisan
infrastructure bill before the Build Back Better Act had passed both
chambers of Congress.
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FULL CONVERSATION HERE -
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While Jayapal's statement Wednesday was light on precise details, the
CPC is likely to pressure Biden to use his executive powers to cancel
at least some federal student loan debt and potentially advance other
Democratic goals, such as lowering medicine costs.
Jayapal does specifically mention "federal action to protect the right
to vote" as the GOP assault on the franchise intensifies
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the state level nationwide. Senate Republicans have repeatedly
filibustered Democratic voting rights bills, including a compromise
measure
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by Manchin—an ardent defender of the filibuster rule.
"Just as we cannot wait for a few senators to deliver economic relief
to our communities, we cannot wait for them to deliver relief from the
rampant voter suppression and denial of the people's constitutional
rights," Jayapal said Wednesday. "We are encouraged by the dogged
determination of our Senate colleagues to achieve this top priority,
and progressives in the House remain committed to seeing it through."
_The American Prospect_'s David Dayen argued
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that "if Biden wants a successful presidency, the only path forward
goes through using his own prodigious authority."
"Biden could cancel student debt
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42 million borrowers," Dayen noted. "He could give millions more
workers access to overtime pay
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He could deschedule marijuana
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the list of controlled substances, effectively legalizing a burgeoning
industry. His IRS could end the carried interest loophole
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makes private equity so attractive and prohibit private equity
management fees
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weakening this cancerous financial scheme that is destroying hundreds
of businesses."
"Biden has significant command-and-control authority
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meet his Paris Agreement goals, which if used aggressively could spell
the end of a certain mining technique Manchin is wedded to in West
Virginia," he continued. "In the absence of Build Back Better
provisions lowering prescription drug costs, Biden could use federal
law to seize drug patents
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with public money and assure they will be distributed affordably."
_[JAKE JOHNSON is a staff writer for Common Dreams.]_
_Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel
free to republish and share widely._
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