Progressive Victories Lay the Groundwork for 2020
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A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF Progressive Victories Lay the classmates and teachers were gunned down in February -- spent the summer and fall traveling the Groundwork for 2020 country for the “Road To Change’’ tour urging people to register to vote. No group played as important a role as Indivisible, founded soon after By Peter Dreier Trump’s election, which quickly expanded to every Congressional district, training and mobilizing first- Politics is a struggle for power – over ideas and time activists and new leaders in the skills of issue interests – and after this year’s midterm elections organizing and campaign work. two things remain clear. First, voter suppression and intimidation, racism, and corporate money Women, young people, African Americans, and continue to infect American politics like a virus. Latinos turned out in significantly higher numbers Second, despite those obstacles, America is a much than they did in the previous midterm election in more progressive country than most pundits and 2014 – reflecting an anti-Trump backlash and the political analysts believe. Voters embraced many enthusiasm triggered by competitive races. Not progressive candidates and ballot measures, even in surprisingly, the election saw an upsurge of women, so-called conservative states and Congressional LGBT people, African Americans, and Latinos districts. elected to office. The midterm victories give Democrats an The U.S. House of Representatives opportunity to thwart much of Donald Trump’s agenda, to investigate his and his administration’s In the 435 House races, Democrats outpolled corruption, and to put forward a progressive policy Republicans by 55,2 million to 49.2 million votes. agenda as an alternative to Trumpism that can help Despite the Republicans’ success over the past two Democrats expand their majority in the House, take decades at gerrymandering House districts, back the Senate, and win the White House in 2020. Democrats flipped many seats with Republican incumbents in blue, red and purple states, clear Trump was not on the ballot this year but the evidence of backlash against Trump. In contrast, midterm election was viewed as a nationwide Republicans flipped Democratic seats in only two referendum on his leadership. More than 116 districts, both in Minnesota. As of November 16, million voters went to the polls – 49% of eligible Democrats had picked up 37 seats and were leading voters – the highest turnout rate for a midterm in two of five races (all of them Republican-held election since 1914. Hundreds of grassroots groups seats) that were still undecided. If they win those helped turn the anti-Trump “resistance” movement two races, Democrats will gain a net 39 seats and into an electoral powerhouse. These include labor hold 234 seats. However many they gain, the unions, immigrant rights groups, Planned Democrats have broken Republicans’ eight-year Parenthood, MoveOn, the NAACP, Black Voters lock that started with the Tea Party wave in 2010. Matter, SwingLeft, and others. Students and graduates from Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School -- where 17 As a result of this outcome, progressives will have a They and their Democratic colleagues could initiate larger role in shaping Democratic strategy and hearings and investigations about Trump’s use of policy agenda. Many, perhaps even most, of the the White House to benefit his family businesses, newly elected Democrats who won House races are his business activities in other countries, his payoff left-of-center, including some who flipped GOP to Stormy Daniels, his incompetent response to seats. They reflect the growing grassroots activism Hurricane Maria, his firing of former FBI Director across America over the past decade, and especially James Comey and obstruction of justice, his since Trump’s election. Some version of Medicare separation of families, his travel ban, his efforts to for All is now the Democrats’ mainstream position. weaken consumer protections on banks, and his ties Ditto on a $12 or even $15 minimum wage, to Vladimir Putin and other Russians, especially his progressive tax reform, background checks and knowledge of their involvement with the 2016 limits on assault weapons, a bold infrastructure and elections. Under Democrats, the hearings, broadcast jobs plan, regulating Wall Street, a carbon tax, and on TV and spread via social media, will bust open support for the right to have an abortion. the piñata of Trump’s corruption. They could also hold hearings on the Republicans’ war on the Voting Rights Act through voting suppression and One byproduct of Tuesday’s election: After intimidation – practices that change the outcome of January, the House Progressive Caucus, which now midterm elections in Florida, Georgia, and has 78 members, is projected to grow to about 100 elsewhere. members. Two of them, New York City’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Detroit’s The Democrats can use a little-known 1924 law to Rashida Tlaib, are members of Democratic obtain Trump’s tax returns and even make them Socialists of America. Progressives may seek to public, which would shed light on his business challenge Nancy Pelosi’s hold on the speakership or activities, philanthropy, and overall wealth. They at least insist that she appoint some of their ranks -- can prevent Trump from firing Special Counsel such as Ro Khanna, Judy Chu, and Karen Bass Robert Mueller by attaching a provision to a must- from California, Joe Kennedy from Massachusetts, pass appropriations bill. And after Mueller releases Pramila Jayapal from Washington, Jamie Raskin his report, House Democrats could even begin from Maryland, and Mark Pocan from Wisconsin -- impeachment proceedings, which would further air to House leadership positions. Trump’s corruption and incompetence in public, even if Senate Republicans refuse to convict him. With control of the House, Democrats will be able to block Congressional Republicans’ plans for Laying the groundwork for the 2020 elections, additional tax cuts for the super-rich, tougher House Democrats could also sponsor bills and hold immigration legislation, and the repeal of the hearings to lay out their policy ideas and force Affordable Care Act (ACA). House Republicans to vote on them before facing voters in a presidential year. Their agenda could include raising the federal minimum wage, enacting Democrats will also now control House committees a Medicare for All plan (including incorporating and have subpoena power to investigate Trump’s long-term care for seniors), lowering prescription personal and business dealings, including his long- drug prices, embracing a bold job-creating withheld tax returns. One of Trump’s toughest infrastructure plan, dealing with the high cost of critics, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), will likely college, adopting comprehensive immigration replace Trump puppet Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) as reform (that prevents Trump from deporting young chair of the powerful House Intelligence immigrant Dreamers protected by the DACA Committee. Ardent progressives Reps. Maxine program), expanding funding for reproductive Waters (D-CA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and Elijah health and family planning, strengthening Cummings (D-Maryland) will chair the Financial regulations on Wall Street to protect consumers, Services, Judiciary, and Oversight and Government reforming outdated labor laws, promoting a Reform committees, respectively. 2 progressive tax plan and campaign finance reform, this year’s regular election, but many of the strengthening voting rights, and adopting tougher activists mobilized in his campaign – including environmental regulations. They will have the groups like PaveItBlue and Liberal Moms of leverage to force Trump and his Republican allies Roswell and Cobb -- stayed together and provided to make concessions to pass a budget. many of the troops for McBath’s insurgency. McBath won her race – by a 50.5% to 49.5% margin – in part by improving on Osoff’s outreach The midterm elections resulted in a record number to African Americans and by drawing on the of women, Latinos, Black, and LBGT members of growing anti-Trump sentiment among women. Congress. Hayes (National Teacher of the Year in 2016) All nine of the newly-elected Black House became the first African American elected to members -- Texas’ Colin Allred, Georgia’s Lucy Congress from Connecticut. Pressley, the first black McBath, Connecticut’s Jahana Hayes, woman on the Boston City Council, will now be the Massachusetts’ Ayanna Pressley, New York’s first black Congresswoman from Massachusetts. Antonio Delgado, Nevada’s Steven Horsford, Delgado, a Harvard Law School graduate and Colorado’s Joe Neguse, Minnesota’s Illhan Omar, Rhodes scholar, had to overcome GOP efforts to and Illinois’ Lauren Underwood -- prevailed in brand him as a “big-city rapper” to defeat predominantly white and mostly suburban districts Republican incumbent Cong. John Faso in upstate . (Both of the House’s Black Republicans -- Utah’s New York’s Hudson Valley. Underwood, a 32-year Mia Love and Texas’ Will Hurd -- were locked in a old nurse, bested four-term Republican incumbent too-close-to-call races as of November 18). Randy Hultgren in a district once represented by former GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert and McBath’s victory was perhaps the most stunning where Trump defeated Clinton two years ago. upset. She defeated Republican incumbent Karen Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump Jr. Handel in Georgia’s 6th district in the Atlanta traveled to Texas to campaign for Republican Cong. suburbs that was once represented by Newt Pete Sessions, who has served in Congress since Gingrich and where 61% of residents are white and 1997 and was chair of the powerful House Rules only 14% are African American. McBath became a Committee, but he still lost to Allred, a voting reluctant public figure in 2012 after her 17-year old rights lawyer and former NFL player. Neguse son Jordan was shot dead at a Florida gas station by becomes the first Eritrean-American elected to a white man who complained about loud music.