Democrats Try to Build Back (A Bit) Better

President Joe Biden’s economic agenda might be back from the dead. If the original proposal was Build Back Better, this is more like Build Back a Bit. Democrats this week took the first formal step toward reviving a stripped-down version of the nearly $ 2 trillion plan that Senator Joe Manchin killed late last year. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Senate parliamentarian to review a proposed agreement that aims to reduce the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices directly—a long-sought Democratic priority that Manchin supports.…

Read More...

Shift in Congressional majority could drive Democrats’ oversight agenda

<p><em>Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on <a href=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/federal-drive-with-tom-temin/id1270799277?mt=2″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href=”https://www.podcastone.com/federal-drive-with-tom-temin?pid=1753589″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>PodcastOne</a>.</em></p> <p>People who track politics say the majority in Congress could switch next year from Democratic to Republican. If that&#8217;s the case, that prospect will drive the Democrats&#8217; oversight agenda for the rest of 2022. Some congressional leaders have laid out their agendas on paper. For what agencies can expect, the <strong><em><a href=”https://federalnewsnetwork.com/category/temin/tom-temin-federal-drive/”>Federal Drive with Tom Temin </a></em></strong>turned to Hogan Lovells attorney and former House Foreign…

Read More...

The Voting-Rights Debate Democrats Don’t Want to Have

Last week was a momentous one for voting rights in America, and not just because of President Joe Biden’s urgent (if unsuccessful) plea for Congress to pass legislation protecting access to the ballot. More than 800,000 people in New York City gained the right to vote with the enactment of a new law allowing legal noncitizens to participate in municipal elections. The law represents one of the biggest single expansions of voting rights in recent years, as well as an enormous victory for immigrants in the nation’s largest city. But…

Read More...

It’s Time for Democrats to Break the Glass

The next few weeks will likely answer the most crucial question that emerged from last year’s insurrection by supporters of Donald Trump: Can one political party defend American democracy on its own? In the days after the January 6 attack, it appeared possible that many Republicans would join Democrats in a cross-party coalition to defend democracy against the autocratic threat. But instead, Trump has consolidated his control over the GOP, led a movement to purge Republican elected officials who resisted his unfounded claims of fraud, and solidified the belief among…

Read More...

Democrats Reject Work Ethic, Embrace Freeloaders

The Democratic Party used to call itself the party of working people and hail the “dignity of work.” No more. Now, Democrats want to guarantee people who choose not to work an income funded by the suckers who do the right thing by showing up for work, caring for their family, and paying taxes. Fortunately, these self-supporting Americans just dodged a bullet. The failure to pass Build Back Better in Congress, thanks to holdout Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., means that the monthly checks or automatic bank deposits to parents with…

Read More...

Democrats urge Biden to cancel student debt as administration extends payment deadline

Several prominent Democrats are continuing to push President Biden on canceling student debt, shortly after the administration extended a payment deadline for borrowers. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts Democrat, said Mr. Biden has the authority to cancel federal student debt outright. “Student debt cancellation is good policy AND good politics,” Ms. … The Washington Times stories: White House

Read More...