Congress – to the LEFT

Pelosi, Read the Room

August 16, 2019August 16, 2019Dale Seufert-NavarroLeave a comment

politico - J. Scott Applewhite:AP Photo — *Politico* – J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

There is a saying in politics; The Republican Party is terrified of its base, while the Democratic Party – along with its leadership – despises its base. While perhaps comical, this cuts to the core the differences between the two major parties and decades of history have proven this sentiment true. GOP leadership actively panders to its base with an ever-increasing ferocity, playing to its most far-right and racist tendencies. At the same time, the base of the Democratic party has awakened, becoming more progressive and supportive of bold new ideas. The leadership of the Democratic party has actively tried to water down these ideas or simply rebuff them altogether. Much of the Democratic party’s leadership legislates and campaigns in a weak and antiquated fashion. Perhaps, someone should inform them that it is 2019, not 1999.

We live in a very different world now, one inhabited by an imbecilic president that knows nothing about the inner workings of government and has zero respect for our collective democratic ideals. Our planet and our very lives are threatened by the growing existential threat of climate change. We have always had a world divided on the lines of class and privilege, but the segregation of power increasing the amount of economic inequality in this country is shockingly immoral and dangerously unsustainable. Racial and gendered hierarchies are nothing new, serving as the very brick and mortar of the founding of this country. While it is certainly not unique to have a racist occupant of the White House, its present incarnation lays bare the deplorable under-rot of hatred and bigotry that inhabits the psyche of this nation.

In steps Nancy Pelosi, self-proclaimed master legislator, leader of the Democrats, and Speaker of the House. Pelosi has been a member of congress since 1987 and was first elected Speaker in 2007. She is inarguably one of the most powerful Democrats in the country. After Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives in 2018, she successfully fended off a disorganized insurgency from centrist (and mostly white male) members and once again reclaimed the Speakers gavel.

Now, more than ever, Democrats, and the country, need a strong and strategical leader. Speaker Pelosi is proving to be neither of those things. Every day, it is more and more apparent that she is failing abysmally at resisting a racist and authoritarian president and is ever more out of touch with the base of the Democratic party. Now she is certainly not the only member of Democratic leadership that this can be said about. In the Senate, Chuck Schumer is even more spineless. What is different in Pelosi’s case is that given her majority in the House, she has power; power that she is wielding ineffectively. The 2018 midterms were seen as a rebuke on the Trump administration, with Democrats flipping forty seats. This blue wave provided a glimmer of hope for a frustrated left. Then and now, Speaker Pelosi has claimed that “no one is above the law”, and “we will hold the president accountable.” But, what does that accountability look like?

The most obvious way to hold this authoritarian petulant man-child of a president accountable is the process of impeachment. It is the only real tool given to Congress in the Constitution for checking the powers of the presidency. With all of Pelosi’s repeated claims about Trumps abuses of power and criminality, she consistently rules out the possibility of impeachment. Due to her memories of the Clinton impeachment hearings backfiring on Republicans in the 90’s, she has decided that the risks to her majority in the House are too high.

While the proceedings that the Republican held Congress brought forth against Bill Clinton had nominal negative effects on the party, the two cases are worlds apart, politically and constitutionally. Firstly, at the height of the Clinton hearings the president held the highest approval ratings of his entire presidency, as high as 73%. In stark contrast, President Trump is highly divisive and unpopular, currently sitting at an approval rating of 42%. In fact, the president’s approval rating has never gotten above 46%.

Setting unpopularity aside, there is a strong legal and constitutional justification for immediately beginning impeachment hearings. Article II, Section 4 of the constitution lays out the grounds for impeachment, “…treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” While treason and bribery are fairly straightforward, the high crimes and misdemeanors provision is a bit more ambiguous, at least on its face. Some argue that an actual criminal crime must be committed, but this is not consistent with the founder’s intent or with historical precedent. It is apparent from the Federalist papers and other documents from the debating of the Constitution that the act of impeachment was political in nature and was intended for more than just criminal offenses. Hamilton spoke of the “violation of public trust” and “injuries done to society itself”, much of this noncriminal in nature. The historical application of this process proves this point as well. Most of the cases brought forth against public officials did not actually involve criminal offenses – biased or inappropriate decision making, excessive drunkenness, misusing an office for personal profit, and inducing parties to enter into financial contracts.

As the Trump administration clumsily careens towards authoritarianism and self-destruction, the growing list of moral, political, and criminal indictments grows. The president payed hush money to adult film star, Stormy Daniels, covering up his extramarital affair. This effectively broke campaign finance law. Through the use of his hotel’s and properties around the world, Trump has used the office of the presidency as a yet another way to enrich himself and his family. This president has created the most nepotistic and mob-like administration that most of us have ever seen. There is also plenty of evidence to prove that this president is an out and proud racist with an affection for fascism, even if he is too ignorant to understand the term or its implications. But, perhaps the most alarming reason for his immediate impeachment is his obstruction of justice during the Mueller investigation. While the report did not claim that the president worked with the Russian government during the 2016 election, a clear case of obstruction was put on the table. Ultimately, Mueller left the decision of impeachment in the hands of Congress. Just like the specific findings of this investigation, every action by this president during his time in office has been for his own personal enrichment and surreal narcissistic reality show.

It is true that if impeachment in the House were successful, it is unlikely that a Republican controlled Senate would convict the president on any charges. Pelosi is most likely correct in this assessment. But this does not mean that she should abdicate her responsibility to the Constitution or to the American people. She should force the Republican party to choose the side of accountability and integrity or the side of naked power and deceit. By not holding this president accountable, she and the entire Congress is setting a dangerous precedent, for this president and all future office holders. This only serves to embolden Donald Trump, validating his claims that he is above the law.

When it comes to her own party and its base, Nancy Pelosi is out of touch and dismissive. Four female congresswomen, known as the Squad, have captured the attention of the Democratic party and the entire nation. Each woman – Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – has found a way to speak truth to power and question a corrupt status quo in such a simplified way that brings an enormous amount of energy to a base that is yearning for soul and passion. Instead of embracing them, Pelosi has repeatedly dismissed them and their ideas. The Speaker is more than happy to stand beside these women of color on the cover of the Rolling Stone but is not willing to symbolically stand with them when it matters the most. How perfect a representation of the modern Democratic Party that takes for granted the loyalties of communities of color, especially women, instead of truly elevating their work that is of immeasurable importance? Perhaps Pelosi’s qualm with her caucuses left flank, and most specifically the four superwomen of the Squad, is that they represent everything that she is not. Indeed, she was once a young idealistic woman that was criticized for being too far to the left. Now she aids in the propping up of an oppressive and corrupt system, standing in the way of renewed energy for change.

In a Democratic caucus meeting Pelosi told her members not to use Twitter to air their grievances but has used several public interviews to single out and bash many of these women. In one such interview she was quoted as saying, “All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world… They’re four people and that’s how many votes they get.” How incredibly dismissive and willfully dense at understanding that these four women represent something far more important. They bring with them the power of the various social movements that catapulted them into office, not to mention that they represent thousands of actual constituents. This is most evident with the singling out of Representative Ilhan Omar. Omar has been an outspoken critic of the racist and borderline fascist far-right government of Israel and for that has received relentless criticism from the right and even many Democrats, most notably from the Speaker herself. This on slot of vilification resulted in the spine-chilling ‘Send her back’ chant at a Trump rally in North Carolina, for which Democratic leadership is partly culpable. It seems the Speaker is more willing to belittle four freshman congresswomen then she is at holding a dangerous president accountable.

This is all the more enraging when taken into the context of Pelosi’s last bid for the Speakers gavel. At a time when many Democratic members called for new leadership and with all eyes on the newest progressive members of Congress, they all stood up and proudly cast their votes for the only woman to ever hold the honor. The ‘moderate’ and conservative Democrats – which happen to mostly be white men – that fought to derail her bid for Speaker get a free pass from criticism. Instead, all of her attention is hyper focused on these women that had her back. This protection of the so-called moderates in the party highlights the fallacious idea that the party is moving too far to the left, costing the party elections. Instead, the party should focus on invigorating its base and expanding the electorate to disaffected non-voters.

Nancy Pelosi’s contempt doesn’t seem to just lie with progressive members of Congress, but with important progressive legislation. She has publicly trivialized the Green New Deal, referring to it as the “…green dream, or whatever they call it…” and her office has actively worked against perhaps the most important legislative and ideological issue for the base of the party, Medicare for All. Weeks after Democrats retook the House of Representatives, a top aide for Pelosi urged health policy groups to raise public concerns about Medicare for All. Questioned about this and her disparaging comments about the policy, she touted her support for a single payer system of healthcare early in her career, even claiming she has single payer support signs in her basement from decades ago. This is yet another fitting symbol of entrenched establishment politicians and the modern Democratic party, one that has long forgotten its ideals and traded in its core values for big money and a superficial veneer of empathy for the working class.

Is this insistence on swerving on progressive policies a disagreement on tactic, ideology or simply a lack of courage? Over the years Democratic leadership has shown a real reluctance to fight, instead cowering under the threats and pressures of their Republican counterparts. Democrats are always willing to compromise and meet on GOP terms in the hopes that they will eventually be met halfway, when of course this never occurs. Republicans always tow the party line. The latest example of this is Nancy Pelosi, and originally Chuck Schumer’s, capitulation on a recent border funding bill. She allowed the passage of a Senate bill without any reconciliation or changes, in what she said was an effort to “reluctantly get resources to the children [at the border] fastest.” This was absolutely the wrong move, effectively giving the Trump administration everything and securing nothing in return. Progressive members were correct to oppose the measure and publicly call out their colleagues. There were no protections in the bill that would have guaranteed the humane treatment of the migrants at the border, especially children. After progressive members began to speak out, Pelosi released a letter to Trump urging him to improve the conditions of children and migrants at the border. Her feckless and inept response, “I would deeply appreciate your soonest consideration of the proposals contained in the House legislation…”, shows her lack of courage and frankly a lack of understanding of the critical times we now inhabit. This is not the work of a master legislator.

This is also not the time for ‘civility’ in the traditional Washington beltway sense of the word. The call for civility is often used to undermine dissent and protect a corrupt status quo, as if language and tone are more important or offensive than the policies called into question. What is civility when children are dying at the borders and fellow human beings are treated like animals? What is civility when our democracy is hollowed out to the core by the rich and powerful? What is civility when the only home that we have is literally being killed due to the greed of multi-national corporations that worship at the altar of greed and profits? What is civility when the rhetoric of a white supremacist president directs violence upon sitting members of Congress and already marginalized communities? When the opposition leans into its fascist tendencies and stokes racial and economic violence, we need leadership that is willing to fight in new and audacious ways.

The strange and dangerous times that we find ourselves in call for direct and resolute action, not the current sedated approach that occupies much of the Democratic leadership. With 2020 on the horizon, turnout and energy are going to be crucial. The party is going to need an excited base that believes in its leaders will to fight and knows that its leaders are fighting for them. The 2016 presidential election was a complicated web of understanding, but a large reason for its outcome was a deeply flawed Democratic candidate resulting in a lower turnout of key demographics.

The world, and nature of politics, has drastically changed. The Republican party is an entirely different beast, one that has shown no desire to honestly compromise and work towards real solutions. Indeed, one of the gravest sins of the Obama Era was the president’s belief that the GOP would meet him halfway and work together. This never happened and we should learn from that mistake. When someone shows you who they are, believe them. When the history of this tenable time is written, the enablers of this fascist authoritarian administration and the detractors of humane progressive legislation will be indistinguishable from the very monsters that they superficially and fecklessly ‘resist’. There is no neutrality on a moving bus and Democratic leadership should learn to fight. No one escapes judgment from history, especially when one is in a position of power. Pelosi, it’s time to read the room or get out of the way.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” – Desmond Tutu

Dale Seufert-Navarro

CALL TO ACTION:

January 2, 2019Dale Seufert-NavarroLeave a comment

Today incoming House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, announced the rules package for the 116th Congress will include her ‘pay-as-you-go‘ provision. This requires all new spending to be offset with either budget cuts or tax increases. The policy has long been criticized as a conservative tactic at tying the governments hand. Opponents have also pointed out that this system allows Republicans to alter the tax code, reducing revenue and creating deficits, that Democrats then have to answer for. Progressives say that the rule will make it more difficult to pass a number of progressive items such as Medicare for All and a Green New Deal.

While this rule wouldn’t have a huge effect on legislation at the moment since the GOP still holds control over the Senate and the White House. If Democrats were to regain these places of power in the future real progressive legislation could possibly be doomed by corporate interests in the Democratic party.

The new rules does include language to reinstate a Select committee on Climate Action, a move called for in the Green New Deal legislation that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposes. To the dismay of progressives, this committee can hold hearings but will not have subpoena and deposition authority, essentially keeping real power just out of reach.

There were a few items added to the rules package that progressive members fought for like the ‘Gephardt rule’ — eliminates the need for a standalone bill to raise the debt limit, and the mandate on the CBO to include ‘dynamic scoring ‘ of legislation — a pseudo-science used by the Republicans to make tax cuts look like they pay for themselves.

The American people are hungry for bold change that will make their lives better. When the new Democratic majority takes control Thursday they need every tool possible to enable this change to occur. This rules package stands in the way and makes sweeping legislation harder to pass. So far Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna have said they will vote against the rules change.

Call your Representative in Congress and tell them to vote NO on this rules package. Let them know you support bold action! Below is a link to find your representatives information.

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Now is the time to fight!

Dale Seufert-Navarro

Yemeni Blood on American Hands

December 21, 2018April 11, 2019Dale Seufert-NavarroLeave a comment

yemeni girl

Yemeni Girl – The New York Times

Since 2015 the country of Yemen has been embroiled in a chaotic civil war between the internationally accepted government and the Houthi rebels. This conflict has become somewhat of a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Saudis have been relentless in their attacks on the poorest country in the Arab world, with most of the damage being inflicted by their massive bombing campaign. Now three years later, many international observers are calling the conflict in Yemen the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. An estimated 10,000 civilians have been killed, 1 million people are infected with cholera, a sever famine is causing millions to starve to death, and over 3 million people have been displaced. With very few people on the ground, these numbers are very rough estimates since it has been difficult to access the sheer size of the situation.

Until recently, the conflict in Yemen – and the United States involvement – has been largely ignored by the Western media. MSNBC, so-called ‘home of the resistance’ to the Trump administration, has failed to substantially cover the war. The death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has thrust Saudi Arabia, and by extension Yemen, into the public’s consciousness. Now lawmakers on both sides of the isle are beginning to question Americas relationship to Saudi Arabia and our involvement in Yemen. The tragic irony is after thousands of deaths in Yemen, it took the death of one man to spark enough outrage to make the general public take note. It is now evident that Khashoggi’s death was ordered by the Saudi government and by the crowned Prince, Mohammad bin Salman more specifically. The prince was once heralded as a reformer when he took power, but this is now proving to be untrue.

The Pentagon has admitted that there are 7 Navy battleships in the region, just off the coast of Yemen. The U.S. government had long claimed that these ships are not aiding in the naval blockade of the country, but with that many in the area that can’t possibly be true. Since the country depends on imports to survive, the U.S. military and government is directly aiding in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. In 2016 it was reported that a U.S. ship off the coast of Yemen was fired upon. No ships were hit in the alleged attack. The media has reported that the ‘Iran backed’ rebels, the Houthi, fired the missiles. By reporting it in this way, it gives the impression that Iran is directly responsible for the attack. There is also no context given in the reporting of the incident as to why the rebels would fire a missile at a ship in the region. There is no mention of the fact that Yemen has relentlessly been bombed since 2015. By not stating this obvious fact, it makes it seem like any U.S. response is a retaliation and therefore justified. On the so-called ‘progressive’ MSNBC, Rachel Maddow gave what is essentially a process critic on the incident instead of discussing the war more broadly. She said that then candidate Trump said that if Iranian sailors even looked at our sailors wrong, he would blow them out of the water. She then questions what President Trump is to do to retaliate for the attack. Maddow conflates the supposed attack directly with Iran when the country has not fired any missiles at our ships and no evidence exists to show that they directly aided the rebels in the act. This is narrowly defined media coverage and outright war machine propaganda. Instead of debating the validity of our imperial wars or how we interact with the rest of the world, the critique is that he will not implement said imperial wars effectively. It is indeed worrisome that a petulant imbecile is at the helm of our military, but we should be asking ourselves if we should even be involved in these situations around the world. This is about Geo-political influence and is modern day colonialism and imperialism. Have we learned nothing from the middle east in the past 30 plus years.

The country of Yemen has been devastated by the Saudi regime with the help of the U.S. and British governments. The U.S. has been a longtime seller of weapons to Saudi Arabia, with the Obama administration seeing the largest sale of weapons to the country in history. From 2008-2015 Obama saw close to $94 billion in arms to the regime. The U.S. has also provided in-air refueling of Saudi jets, logistical aid, and intelligence support. As the war in Yemen escalated and the situation became more of a humanitarian crisis with more and more innocent life lost, the sale of weapons and support continued. There has been virtually no push-back from the U.S. or Britain. A school bus carrying children was bombed killing at least 40 children. In October of 2016 Saudi Arabia bombed a funeral within Yemen killing close to 140 civilians and injuring almost 500. The Saudi government said that the bombing was based on incorrect information and was a mistake, but the use of a ‘double-tap’ attack suggests otherwise. This form of attack is when the first bombing is followed by a second strike soon after with the intent of killing wounded survivors and aid workers. The bomb used was identified as a U.S. made bomb by the company Raytheon. These specific types of bombs were provided to Saudi Arabia with the understanding that they would make their targeting more accurate. Mark Hiznay, the associate arms director at Human Rights Watch, have called these bombs “dumb bombs with graduate degrees”.

bomb

U.S. made bomb used by Saudi Arabia in Bombing of Yemen – CNN.com

The Trump administration has signaled that they would no longer refuel Saudi jets but has refused to stop arms sales to the country or put any kind of pressure on the regime. In fact, President Trump has doubled down on his support for the country. Donald Trump’s first foreign trip as president was to Saudi Arabia, the first for a U.S. president. Even after the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump refused to hold the crown prince or Saudi Arabia accountable. Could this be because Trump and his family have many financial interests in the country?

The conflict in Yemen is a war that the U.S. government is clearly helping the Saudi’s wage. This war has never been debated nor authorized by the U.S. Congress. One glimmer of hope in a sea of darkness filled by the deaths of thousands of innocent lives occurred recently. The Senate passed a resolution, 56-41, to end all military assistance to Saudi Arabia in relation to the war in Yemen. The bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Mike Lee (R-UT), and had bipartisan support. After failing to pass months earlier, the death of Jamal Khashoggi helped push it over the threshold this time around. Sadly, the measure was blocked in the House of Representatives. The House Rules committee, on behest of Speaker Ryan, slipped in a provision of the rules to the Farm Bill that prevented the House from voting on a Yemen resolution for the rest of this term. The narrow procedural vote was 206-203, with 18 Republicans voting against and, despicably, 5 Democrats voting for the bill. Ryan knew that many Republicans in the House would join Democrats in voting to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen. This disgusting act of cowardice and malicious continuation of immoral bloodshed will not be forgotten, especially those five Democrats. Collin Peterson (D) of Minnesota callously stated he didn’t know a “damn thing” about the war in Yemen.

A tide is turning in this country and in the public’s consciousness. People are finally starting to wake up to what their country is doing. The media is starting to report on the tragic conflict thousands of miles away. It is interesting to note that the United States started helping the Saudi’s in their bombardment of Yemen under the Obama administration, yet is only beginning to reflect on the situation now that Trump is in office. When the media does comment on the conflict, it is narrowed in an imperialist way that does not significantly question the U.S. involvement around the world. Instead, we should move past this worldview and ask what the validity of these actions are and how safe or unsafe they make us and the rest of the world. I write this piece with a heavy heart and with tears in my eyes. We are told to approach policy with logic and not with emotion, but often we need emotion to cut through the veil of mistruth and propaganda. At the moment our government is using our taxes to fund the deaths of innocent children. This imperialism makes us less safe and fuels extremist ideology. It does not serve to protect the American people as these actions are so often sold. Instead they serve American weapons manufacturers, defense contractors, and Geo-political influence in the region over natural resources like oil and capitalist consumer markets. Without foreign assistance the Saudi regime would not be able to wage this unjust and immoral war. It is past time the American people demand our leaders stop allowing this unnecessary bloodshed to continue.

Dale Seufert-Navarro

Pulling Back the Curtain

December 18, 2018December 20, 2018Dale Seufert-Navarro1 Comment

: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – New York Post

One of the biggest complaints about Congress is that it is too out of touch, unable to understand the basic needs and struggles of everyday Americans. The halls of Congress are filled with elitist millionaires with bank accounts larger than what most Americans will ever see. The average net worth of a Senator is $3.2 million and $900,000 for a Representative in the House. Studies have shown that Congressional offices give preferential treatment to large campaign donors while ignoring calls from everyday citizens. While most members of Congress are unattainable, there is one freshman congresswoman making waves and changing the way members of Congress interact with their constituents. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become a political rockstar ever since she beat longtime Democratic incumbent, Joe Crowley, in their June primary. From the very beginning of her campaign, she has shown that she will be beholden to her constituents and the movement behind her. In a debate with Crowley she was asked if she would support and endorse her opponent if she lost her primary challenge. Her response was brave and honest. She said that decision would not be up to her alone. She was representing a movement and would therefore need to go back and discuss what would be best for the larger movement. This is what it means to be the leader of actual people and not special interests. As it turns out, honesty and sincerity are still important to voters.

Now that Ocasio-Cortez will officially be a member of Congress, she intends to be a different kind of politician, one that sees herself as part of, instead of above and seperate, from a community. Ocasio-Cortez has been very open and honest about her struggle to find affordable housing in the D.C. area, where housing prices are some of the highest in the nation. Many in the media, and on the right, have criticized her and made a joke out of her financial situation. In pointing to, in their minds, her inadequate savings, they have revealed how out of touch they really are. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the median American household has less than $5,000 in savings, with about 30% having less than $1,000. What makes her appealing and relatable is the fact that her situation is more like the lived experience of everyday Americans than the wealthy beltway pundits laughing at her bank account or lack thereof. This is especially true of millennials. Millennials get a very bad rap when it comes to the job market and the housing market, but what some fail to acknowledge is that this generation – my generation – came of age during a time of financial crisis; a time and economy very different then our parents’ generation. Wages have stagnated, the types of jobs have changed, the labor market has become less unionized, the cost of living has increased, the cost of education has skyrocketed, and housing has become very unaffordable. That equation has been very difficult for younger generations to maneuver, and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez is speaking truth to power about this experience. Unless more millennials and young people run for office and become politically engaged, the political system will not be prepared to speak to the problems affecting a new economy.

Society is changing and calls for making all aspects of it more democratic grow louder, as it should. One part of this is social media (although there are many downsides to this platform as well). Social media has become a very prevalent part of our society, especially for young people. Her strategic use of the platform is smart and builds on the innovations of the Obama and Sanders campaigns. If you are not following her on Instagram, then you are truly missing out. The voters sent her to Washington and now she is bringing everyone along for the ride. Her posts narrating congressional freshman orientation will put a smile on your face and are very useful in lifting the mysterious veil over Congress. Even before heading to Washington she regularly live-streamed herself cooking dinners at home while discussing politics with her followers.

: Via Twitter @Envisioned_One

These Instagram live-streams are comparable to the FDR fireside chats during his presidency in the 30s and 40s. Roosevelt knew that accessibility was important to the general public, and Ocasio-Cortez knows this as well. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought us along with her as she navigated her first week of orientation, fangirling her meetings with other members of Congress. The videos of her discovering underground hallways in the capital building and the Congressional train remind you of an excited kid starting at a new school.

Instagram

But don’t let this excitement fool you, Alexandria is an articulate and gifted fighter. Recently she revealed that a panel for congressional orientation was packed with corporate CEO’s and lobbyists, but conveniently excluded labor and activist representation.

Via Twitter @Envisioned_One

How often do our elected officials reveal how intertwined and compromised our politicians are to business interests? Many times, candidates run on a platform of change and populism only to abandon those promises once elected. Ocasio-Cortez appears to be sticking to her guns. What she is doing is very important. She is lifting the veil on a mysterious institution clouded in mistrust and showing ordinary people that Congress and politics is not just for rich old white men but can and should be for anybody. I can’t wait to see what she does with her new-found power and platform. I see a long and exciting career ahead of her, even living in a certain famous house one day.

Dale Seufert-Navarro

New Majority, New Priorities

December 5, 2018December 7, 2018Dale Seufert-NavarroLeave a comment

1543618755346 — Incoming 116th House of Reps – *Axios*

In the 2010 midterm election, Democrats saw the highest loss of a party in a House midterm election since 1938. Republicans gained 63 seats that night. For 8 long years Republicans have controlled the House of Representatives, frustrating Democrats and progressives. On November 6, 2018 that finally changed. Democrats picked up at least 40 seats, regaining control of the House. After being locked out of every seat of power in Washington since the 2016 election, Democrats have the opportunity to legislate and put forth an agenda to the American people. The question now becomes what will the Democrats do with this new-found power? What should the priorities of the 116^th congress be in January? Many people now hope that a Democratically controlled House will finally be a check on scandal ridden administration and a corrupt president. While congress should definitely investigate apparent corruption and hold the president accountable for any crimes that are revealed, it should not be the primary focus. The new Majority must not forget that their primary job in Washington is to govern and legislate.

The most pressing issue of our time is the threat of Climate Change. Earlier this year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a committee convened by the United Nations, issued a report describing a world with worsening droughts and food shortages, wildfires, animal extinctions, and mass die-offs of coral reefs as soon as 2040. This date is far sooner than previously believed. In dealing with this threat, the report called for transforming the world economy at a rate and scale that has “no documented historical precedent.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined Climate Action activists in Nancy Pelosi’s office to draw attention to the issue. Many other freshman members of congress have called for legislation, a Green New Deal, to combat Climate Change. The legislation would create a House select committee to come up with a definitive plan to move the U.S. economy towards 100% renewable energy and push lawmakers to stop taking political contributions from fossil fuel companies.

Campaign finance reform and voting rights should be at the top of a list of priorities of the new congress. Elections in this country are bought and sold to the highest bidder, with everyday citizens pushed out of the political discussion. The obscene amount of money pouring into our political system is having a corrupting effect. Congress should work towards a constitutional amendment reversing the disastrous effects of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. The U.S. should start moving towards publicly funded elections in order to put all citizens on an equal playing field in our democracy. Instead of making it harder for people to vote, voting rights should be strengthened. The oversight and process of voting should be nationalized, instead of each state setting its own rules. The constitution gives congress broad authority over congressional elections. Automatic voter registration should immediately be instituted. Election day should be a national holiday with legislated opportunities for everyone to vote. Individuals that have committed crimes but have paid their debt to society should have their voting rights restored.

For additional input I implored opinions from Michelle Durney-Croniser, a progressive living in Seattle, Washington,

With the upcoming shift of power in congress there’s debate about what Democrats in congress should focus on in the coming year. Many people see this as a chance to finally check the president and his administration after having our hands tied for two years. Many more are thinking that we can finally go full steam ahead to get answers about what happened between the president, his campaign staff, and Russian leaders during the campaign. Then there’s the idea of worrying less about investigations and Russia, and more about moving important policy proposals forward. In my humble, non-expert opinion, no matter how the democratic controlled congress approaches the next two years, there will be political ramifications that will be tough to predict given that the outcome of the last presidential election defied all expectations. It is also essential to keep in mind that we need to be able to reach across the aisle if we are going to get anything done. Also, I’m tired of playing nice. It’s time to be sharks. I must restate, this is my humble opinion…

Let me start by highlighting policies I think we need to focus on over the course of the next two years and then explain why I think we need to head in this very specific direction. Gun violence is in the very front of my mind. While I understand that for many, this might seem like a secondary topic to things like corruption and reforming the justice system, we see and hear about gun violence on a daily basis. Many of us have been impacted or have had a close call. Furthermore, this is important to young voters and teenagers who will be of voting age by the next election. Not only do we need to focus on reducing gun violence so that we as Americans can feel safe at work, home, schools, movie theaters, church, concerts, and in hospitals, but we also need to make sure that American children don’t grow up in an era in which they ask themselves if today is the day, or if it’s their turn. Let me speak about the political ramifications of addressing gun violence. For the sake of politics alone, we need to address this issue. If we leave out one of the issues that is most directly impacting young and new voters before the next election, then we automatically cut our chances of winning back the White House. Democrats in congress should propose more comprehensive background checks, close loopholes in gun show purchases, and propose policies that allow for the removal of guns from individuals who are considered high risk due to mental health or relationship violence and draft those proposals in a way that will elicit bi-partisan support. To me, it’s really that simple. Remember the turnout of the March for our Lives protest in D.C. and around the country? They care. Young people are paying attention and know how to connect with each other to build a coalition. Do we want them to be civically active in future elections and vote for candidates who are fighting to end gun violence? Yes, we do. Also, republicans know that young voters care about this issue which increases the likelihood that some will attempt to cooperate when presented with proposed legislation.

The next issue I think we need to address is corruption. Maybe you’re confused about why I would think this is such an important issue, but may I point you to the person who makes this point most obvious to me, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Another person we cannot forget is Bernie Sanders. Why did we love him so much until the DNC took him out of play? He represented honesty in politics and was the only true representation of “by the people, for the people.” If we want people to believe that their vote matters, we need voices like Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders, and Beto O’Rourke. In the midterms, across this country, we elected people who ran honest grassroots campaigns. Yes, we also elected establishment politicians who received corporate money, but there’s a trend and if we ignore it we’ll regret it. This country is truly being run by the wealthiest and the rest of us are left to fight over scraps.

Other issues that it’s time to tackle include criminal justice reform, health care coverage for all, raising wages for all, infrastructure investment, renewable energy, and tax reform for the people. Our government is getting out of control and Democrats, as a party, have played nice for too long. It’s time to get down to business. We can be as ruthless as the GOP has been since Reagan was in office. Being nice has gotten us into this big mess and being nasty is the only way to get out. Use our system to back the GOP into a corner so that they have to play along, or they die as a party. Use the nuclear option. Stack federal courts in our favor. Educate the young so that they can rise up and continue to fight for the people of this country.

Now, do we go after the white house for Russian interference and collusion? Absolutely. But, if it looks at all like that is all we’re focused on, we’re setting ourselves up for a big loss in 2020. We can’t afford to take that risk. We have to think about the next presidential election. We have to get things done. The GOP and specifically 45, will be breathing down our necks and exposing every failure for the next two years. It will be part of their campaign messages. What’s your opinion on this matter? I’d like to know what you think is most important right now. What did I miss or get completely wrong? – Michelle Durney-Croniser

Progressives have been waiting for this opportunity since the House or Representatives was lost in the 2010 elections. There is practically a laundry list of things that Democrats need to do with their newfound power, and they should do them all. Yes, the Senate is still controlled by the GOP and yes, the White House is controlled by an incompetent aspiring dictator, but this is the time to force the Republicans hands. If they are going to oppose key reforms and legislation that will help American families, then force them to vote against them. Throw everything at them and put them on the record of selling out the American people. When 2020 rolls around the Democrats will have the upper hand and the higher ground. These votes will be what the political adds in 2020 will be all about. The ads will practically write themselves. The two years between now and 2020 are crucial. Will Democrats use this moment and fight for working families and the working poor or squander a chance at real change?

Dale Seufert-Navarro

Contributor: Michelle Durney-Croniser

(UPDATE: It has been reported that the first bill introduced by the new Congress, H.R. 1, will have sweeping reforms to campaign finance, elections, and voting)

Sexism or Realism

November 29, 2018December 7, 2018Dale Seufert-Navarro2 Comments

nancy pelosi — Nancy Pelosi – *ABC News*

With Democrats regaining control of the House of Representatives, a new speaker will be stepping up and taking the gavel. Just a day ago, Pelosi, running unopposed, won the Democratic nomination to become Speaker of the House. In the secret ballot she received 203 votes with 32 opposing her nomination. In January she will need 213 votes to become speaker, so she has some work to do in winning over some of those ‘no’ votes. Most observers believe that Nancy Pelosi will once again prevail in her role as leader of the caucus. She has led House Democrats since 2007, when she became the first woman Speaker of the House. Her bid for the role has been in question. She has faced challengers before and come out on top. Most recently, in 2016, she defeated Ohio Democratic Representative Tim Ryan in the role of minority leader. With that being said, the opposition to her winning Speaker are more tangible and seem to be more of a threat than ever before. Pelosi has always been a boogeyman figure on the right, but she is now facing criticism from members in her own party. Many Democrats believe that new leadership is needed, and it is time for someone new to take the reins. A critique from the left is that while she has led House Democrats, she has seen substantial losses in the 2010 and 2016 elections. Many new and younger members have voiced a desire for new leadership, some even running on the pledge not to support her for Speaker in their 2018 campaigns. Pelosi’s supporters will point to the fact that Democrats won big in 2018 and that she is one of the best fundraisers in politics. Critics will say that the reason Democrats won big this cycle is not necessarily because of her, but because of the toxicity of President Trump and Republican party. The Presidents party is never favored in an off-year midterm election. Some people have claimed that there is an underlying sexism in the calls for Pelosi to be replaced.

Virtually no one is calling to replace Chuck Schumer in Senate leadership. Schumer has seen substantial losses in the Senate and compared to the Democratic base, he is far to the right. Chuck Schumer has been completely ineffective against Trump and the Republicans, even enabling them in many ways. He stood aside as centrist Democrats voted for bank deregulation and thus, putting the economy and livelihoods of Americans at risk. He was no fan of the Obama era Iran Deal, which he voted against in 2015, and barely put up a fight when Trump singled that he was going to pull out of the deal. In regard to Israel and Palestine, he is very far to the right of the Democratic base. He even celebrated the American embassy move to Jerusalem. The media and many in the party are not calling for new leadership in the Senate. With new leadership in the House needed, then it is also needed in the Senate. If Pelosi is to be replaced, who should replace her?

A few freshman members of Congress have voiced support for a new leader, but they have not put forth any names of who her replacement should be. The role of speaker is very complex, so a freshman or newer member is probably not the best idea. Also, the few names floated to replace her are man and Democrats to the right of her. This is not a good idea for a party that is increasingly moving to the left, and the optics of a group of men coalescing to unseat a woman is not good for a party that just elected record numbers of new women to Congress. Something else to remember is the time from now until the 2020 presidential election is crucial for the party. Everything the Democratic party does between now and then will either kill their chances to take back the White House or aid in their success. An effective speaker and legislation to energize the base will be pivotal. One name that has been briefly floated by the more progressive wing of the party is Barbara Lee of California. She has been a member of the House since 1998 so she has plenty of experience in the workings of House politics. Most importantly she is very exciting for the Democratic base. She was the only member of the House to vote against the use of force in Iraq after 9/11, and routinely advocates for the repeal of the 2001 War Authorization Act. Also, there has never been an African American Speaker of the House and many Democrats have complained that black House members have been practically locked out of leadership roles. Black women are the most loyal demographic of the Democratic base, with a whopping 94% supporting Clinton in the 2016 election. Our Congressional leadership should look like the country that it represents. The Democratic party is supposed to be the party of inclusion. Instead of taking a loyal voting block for granted, party leadership needs to step it up and actually be the party that it claims to be. Change is indeed needed in the role of speaker and much of the House leadership, I just don’t know if now is the right time with 2020 looming in the not so distant future. Is a viable option available? Is a progressive champion ready and willing to take on the difficult job of uniting the party in the only part of the federal government Democratically controlled?

While anything can happen between now and January, Pelosi’s chances look good. She has loyal members with whom she has formed strong alliances with in the 10 years she has been the Democratic leader. One thing is for sure, Nancy Pelosi isn’t going down without a fight.

Dale Seufert-Navarro