'Democrats, You've Got This'
Late into Friday night, hope builds Democrats could actually pass their legislation
Of the myriad reasons put forward for the Democratic electoral debacle Tuesday, one of the most cogent and rational has been the turnoff Americans have felt whenever they cast their eyes towards Washington DC.
These are not policy wonks or political junkies.
These are average Americans who voted for President Biden and Democrats last year. And although they understand that Democrats have full control of the political branches of the federal government, all they've seen for weeks has been paralyzing, “Inside Baseball” infighting among Democrats who can't seem capable of advancing simple spending bills on to the president's desk to become law.
However, as the clock ticked to midnight Saturday in rare weekend congressional work, Democrats in the House showed that maybe — maybe — they could turn a week that began with the party taking a drubbing in the governorship and other statewide offices in Virginia, and end it with putting the party’s domestic agenda back on track.
At issue are splits between moderate and more progressive Democratic lawmakers, including whether and when to approve a watered-down bipartisan infrastructure bill — separately or in tandem with the larger Build Back Better (BBB) Act which carries much of Biden's domestic agenda.
Although, it, too, has been scales back, the Build Back Better Act would make historic investments in the federal fight against global climate change, child tax credits, universal Pre-K and more.
“House moderates working on a statement to reassure progressives on BBB and push them to vote for infrastructure bill, we are told. Rep. Huffman alluded go that just now, saying of Biden: ‘His request for trust would be accompanied by some some pretty specific assurances,’” Raju, CNN congressional correspondent, tweeted, referring to Rep Jared Huffman (D-Calif).
Despite the potential for yet another congressional failure, there was a palpable sense of hope exuded on social media.
“It's happening!!” MSNBC host Rachel Maddow tweeted.
George Takei, the actor known as Captain Sulu from Star Trek, as well as a prominent LGBT activist and online influencer, offered his words of encouragement to bring the fractious Democrats together.
“Democrats, you've got this. There's a deal in place, sealed by the president. [Bipartisan infrastructure plan] now, BBB in 10 days. No defections, it's our moment. It's finally infrastructure week,” he tweeted, taking a snarky swipe at former president Donald Trump, who during his four years in the White House often declared an “Infrastructure Week” to no actual policy effect.
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