An Agenda For 2024
It is time for the Democrats to give voters an honest and concrete reason to vote for them, instead of just campaigning on “look how bad the Republicans are”. The implication is always that the Democrats have core beliefs but are afraid to say them out of fear they will be unpopular. Somehow the opposite strategy has worked for the Republicans despite the fact that their agenda really has been unpopular.
I propose a ten-point agenda that shows what the Democrats intend to do and how they will do it if given real control of all three branches of government.
- Change the filibuster to allow for majority control of the Senate. There is no intellectually honest reason to maintain the anachronistic system by which 40 percent of the Senators representing an even smaller number of the population can prevent the majority of Congress from enacting laws that express the will of the majority of the country. Democrats need to explain that they have two hold outs (Manchin and Sinema) but if the country gives them two more real Democratic Senators, they will change the filibuster to allow reasonable debate but then equally reasonable decision making by majority vote.
- Pass a law, making Roe v Wade the law of the country. The majority of the country believes in choice up to a period of viability and always for cases of rape and incest and the life of the mother. Such a bill would pass easily if not for the Filibuster (hence promise number 1)
- Pass a law outlawing unfair gerrymandering of House districts. There is no rational reason why a state that votes 60 – 40 for one party or the other in Presidential and statewide races should have its district drawn so that the party in control wins 80 or 90 percent of the House seats. It should be illegal to draw congressional maps to reduce the power of minorities whether they be racial, economic or political minorities. Period.
- Pass a law guaranteeing fair elections (money comes later) but everyone should be allowed to vote, every vote should be counted and by God the politicians should not have the power to undo the will of the voters in Presidential elections.
- Grant statehood to the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
- Health care for all. Close the loopholes and co pays in Medicare. Provide vision care, hearing care, dental care. make it free for everyone paid for by taxes on the wealthiest and balanced in our personal budgets by ending the need for premiums and co pays that make the insurance companies wealthy.
- Expand the Supreme Court. Nine is not a magic number. It is not in the constitution and hasn’t even been the rule since the founding of the country. There are currently 6 reactionaries on the Court and only 3 progressives. Increase the number of justices to 13 which can be done by majority vote and presidential approval and have the candidate for President pledge to appoint 4 justices who will not only reverse Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization as soon as possible and restore Roe as good law but also reverse Citizen’s United that gave corporations the right to spend unlimited money on elections and reverse Buckley v Valeo which inappropriately and wrongly said that government could not put reasonable limits on campaign spending.
- Pass reasonable campaign spending limits that prevents corporations from spending on elections, limits the amount that individuals can spend of their own money on campaigns. Passing such a bill will then give the new majority on the Court the opportunity to overturn Buckley and Citizen’s United.
- Impose a wealth tax. It is time to take care of the needy in our country and end the horrible inequitable distribution of wealth that has allowed the powerful to accumulate unearned wealth (including yachts, private jets, space shuttles etc.) while millions are living in tents and being harassed by local communities for being homeless.
- Commit to fight climate change big time. Fund clean energy projects, encourage and subsidize harvesting solar power wherever possible and discourage and tax (and remove subsidies) for carbon-based energy.
If you think this is a good start, please share with your candidates of choice.