Fighting Back

Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “We will continue fighting for – and listening to – everyone” #ForThePeople

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, reminding us that “every day, Democrats have stayed focused on the issues that matter to working men and women, and we are working hard to improve lives across this country.”

(Congresswoman Debbie Dingell highlighted the incredible progress Democrats have made on the For The People Agenda in the first 100 days of the 116th Congress, including the passage of legislation addressing issues of democracy reform, domestic violence, background checks, equal pay, land conservation and more.)

“Our agenda – to lower prescription drug prices, to create sixteen million good-paying jobs through a real infrastructure plan and to make sure that our government is working – is what Americans expect from this Congress and it’s what they deserve.

“Every day, we have stayed focused on the issues that matter to working men and women, and are working hard to improve lives across this country. […]

“Democrats will put forward an infrastructure plan that will provide millions of good-paying jobs for hard-working people by fixing our roads and bridges.

“We will also aggressively address the dangers posed by climate change and protect promises made to the Dreamers. […]

“We will continue fighting for and listening to everyone.

“We will keep working to build a safer, stronger and secure America together.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: The First 100 Days – #ForThePeople

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This past week House Democrats were at an issues conference in Leesburg VA where they were celebrating 100 days of progress For The People.

(Members of the House Democratic Caucus, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), spoke to reporters following the conclusion of a group retreat in Leesburg, Virginia. They talked about their performance during the first 100 days of the party’s majority in the U.S. House and about their legislative agenda for the months ahead.)

From an op-ed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer:

In November, the American people elected Democrats to take back the reins of power in the House of Representatives and put it back to work on their behalf. In our first 100 days in the majority, we have begun to deliver on that promise. With a dynamic, diverse and energized freshman class of 63 new members, Democrats are moving ahead with our agenda for the people: Lower health care costs and the price of prescription drugs, increase paychecks by rebuilding the infrastructure of America in a green, modern and job-creating way, and clean up corruption in Washington so that the government works for the public interest, not the special interests.

One of the first acts of our new majority was to enable the House to defend the Affordable Care Act in court against efforts by Republican-led states and the Trump administration to dismantle it. This was soon followed by the introduction of a comprehensive bill to stabilize our health care system and lower health care costs for consumers. Already, committees are holding hearings and marking up legislation to keep Democrats’ promises to take action to make health care and prescription drugs cheaper. […]

The American people entrusted Democrats with the House majority because we promised to focus on the issues that matter and the challenges too great to be ignored. This is the positive change that the American people voted for in November, and many of our initiatives passed with bipartisan support. It’s time for Senate Republicans to join us or pay a price with the public for their obstruction. House Democrats have taken action for the people. This is what we’ve done in our first 100 days. It is what we will continue to do in the weeks and months ahead.

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “We’re at our best as a nation when we look out for each other”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Rep. Colin Allred of Texas highlighting the passage of H. Res. 271, a resolution condemning the Trump Administration’s assault on people with pre-existing conditions and affordable health care.

(Congressman Colin Allred of Texas delivered the Weekly Democratic Address condemning the Trump Administration’s assault on people with pre-existing conditions and affordable health care in the courts, as well as, Democrats’ continued efforts to fight for lower health care costs.)

“We’re at our best when we look out for each other, just like the community in North Texas looked out for me.

“That’s why this week, I was proud to lead a bipartisan resolution that puts the U.S. House of Representatives on the side of the people and protecting our health care.

“In an attempt to fulfill an empty partisan promise, the Trump Administration has decided to work to invalidate the entirety of the Affordable Care Act in federal court.

“This is unacceptable. We can’t go back to the bad old days when people were denied care because they had a pre-existing condition.

“I was elected as part of this new Congress to put an end to the sabotage of Americans’ health care, and we are working together to do just that.[…]

“North Texans don’t think this is a partisan issue, which is why I’ll work with anyone to protect the progress we’ve made, fight to lower costs and increase coverage. They want to know if you work hard and play by the rules, you can have good health care, that’s affordable.[…]

A Congress that works For The People works to make health care more affordable, not to take it away.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Climate change is an urgent problem and Democrats are united in our commitment to address it.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota who spoke about the climate crisis and the Democratic caucus committee established to address it.

(As many Republicans in Congress refuse to accept the facts about climate change, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)—a member of Senate Democrats’ new Special Committee on the Climate Crisis announced Wednesday—delivers this week’s Weekly Democratic Address.)

“Recently, Democrats asked for a bipartisan Special Committee on the Climate Crisis. When Republicans refused, we forged ahead by appointing ten Democratic members to Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on Climate Change. I’m very happy to be one of the Senators. Our new committee will work together with colleagues in the House of Representatives. We will highlight how the climate crisis is harming the economic and national security interests of the United States, and we’ll set the stage for bold action on climate.”

“Now, climate change is an urgent problem. And we Democrats are united in agreement that:

1) climate change is real;

2) it’s caused by human activity; and

3) Congress should take immediate and bold action to address this challenge.

“These points should not be controversial. And the conclusion that climate change is an urgent problem is supported by an overwhelming weight of scientific evidence. Unfortunately, too many Republicans in Washington right now—and particularly our current President—refuse to accept these facts.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats in Congress will continue fighting so that the American people have quality, affordable health care.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Congresswoman Lauren Underwood of Illinois highlighting Democrats’ efforts to protect people with pre-existing conditions, lower heath care costs and push back against cruel Republican plans to cut Medicare and Medicaid.

(Congresswoman Lauren Underwood of Illinois delivered the Weekly Democratic Address.)

“House Democrats aren’t wasting time on our agenda of lowering costs and improving care. On Day One we moved to protect people with pre-existing conditions and the health care of all Americans when we voted to oppose the Republicans’ cruel lawsuit which seeks to destroy life-saving protections. That was just the start. […]

“In the weeks and months to come, my colleagues and I are going to keep moving forward with legislation to reverse and block the Republican sabotage of affordable health care and instead move our current system and make it more affordable – with lower health costs and lower prescription drug prices for seniors and families across America.

“So, while Republicans continue to work to limit access to care and make it more expensive – just last week President Trump’s budget proposed repealing health care protections and slashing Medicare and Medicaid – Democrats in Congress will continue fighting For The People, so you and your families can have the quality, affordable health care you deserve.”

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Republicans really are coming after your Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii and discussed the heinous budget introduced by the Republicans’ president.

(Sen. Schatz Tackles Trump Budget Cuts In Weekly Address)

It’s true: Republicans really are coming after your Medicare and your Medicaid. This isn’t a campaign slogan or an overstatement. It’s right there in the budget that the president released this week. It’s got $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, and $845 billion in cuts to Medicare … $25 billion from Social Security.[…]

So this budget makes very clear the difference between Democrats and Republicans. Republicans are all about tax cuts and paying for it by cutting health care. And Democrats want to expand health care coverage, invest in students, and protect the air we breathe and the water that we drink.

“It’s that simple.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “We need to return the power back to the American people”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Rep. Andy Kim from New Jersey speaking about H.R.1 – the For The People Act – an historic reform package to restore the promise of our nation’s democracy and return the power to the people.

(Congressman Andy Kim of New Jersey delivered the Weekly Democratic Address. In this week’s address, the Congressman highlighted the passage of H.R.1, the For The People Act, an historic reform package to restore the promise of our nation’s democracy, end the culture of corruption in Washington, and reduce the role of money in politics to return the power back to the American people.)

“Our nation needs a government of service.

“It was this sense of service that founded our nation and built the extraordinary institutions of democracy that we have been entrusted to protect. That is the oath that we swore.

“But as we look at the stagnation and gridlock, we must be honest with ourselves that these institutions have been weakened. That we do not have the quality of public service that the American people deserve.

“The tide of dark money and special interests eroded our pillars and caused many in this country, my neighbors included, to feel that our government is no longer focused on serving the people. […]

“A government for the people requires a government of the people.

“We must help more Americans to participate in their democracy. We need to work to remove barriers to voting, encourage more Americans to step up and run for office, urge them to vote and to engage with their elected representatives.

“We need to stop gerrymandering from diluting the voice of the people, to make our system fairer and more just.

“We need a government the understands that the core unit of our democracy is the citizen, not the dollar sign.

“H.R. 1 represents a bold effort to do just that.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “The question we’ll be asked – what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact?”

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This past week, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, made a strong closing statement following a hearing into the blatant criminality of Donald J. Trump – as a businessman, as a candidate, as the leader of the Republican Party, and as the Republicans’ president.

(From MSNBC: In an emotional statement addressing Michael Cohen and the chamber, Rep. Elijah Cummings offers closing thoughts after about eight hours of questions and testimony.)

The greatest gift that [we] can give to our children, is making sure we give them a democracy that is intact. A democracy better than the one we came upon. And I’m hoping that, the things you said today will help us again to get back there. […]

I’m hoping that all of us can get back to this democracy that we want, and that we should be passing on our children so they can do better than what we did.[…]

When we’re dancing with the angels, the question we’ll be asked: In 2019, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact? Did we stand on the sidelines and say nothing?

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats are taking action to make sure our communities and our nation are safer.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Congresswoman Lucy McBath from Georgia and explains the work she and House Democrats are doing to pass commonsense gun safety legislation.

(Congresswoman Lucy McBath of Georgia shared her family’s tragic story of gun violence and explained the work she and House Democrats are doing to pass commonsense gun safety legislation.)

“This coming week, H.R.8 the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 will come to Floor of the House for a vote. This historic, bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation will ensure background checks for all gun sales, including unlicensed gun dealers.

“The overwhelming, bipartisan support for universal background checks symbolizes the power of advocacy and the incredible power of the survivors, family members and students who have shared their stories as they advocate for commonsense gun safety solutions and demand that we act to address gun violence.

“House Democrats are taking action to make sure our communities and our nation are safer.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats will defend Congress’ constitutional authorities.”

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer issued this press release regarding the Republican Party’s president declaring a national emergency:

“The President’s unlawful declaration over a crisis that does not exist does great violence to our Constitution and makes America less safe, stealing from urgently needed defense funds for the security of our military and our nation. This is plainly a power grab by a disappointed President, who has gone outside the bounds of the law to try to get what he failed to achieve in the constitutional legislative process.

“The President’s actions clearly violate the Congress’s exclusive power of the purse, which our Founders enshrined in the Constitution. The Congress will defend our constitutional authorities in the Congress, in the Courts, and in the public, using every remedy available.

“This issue transcends partisan politics and goes to the core of the Founders’ conception for America, which commands Congress to limit an overreaching executive. The President’s emergency declaration, if unchecked, would fundamentally alter the balance of powers, inconsistent with our Founders’ vision.

“We call upon our Republican colleagues to join us to defend the Constitution. Just as both parties honored our oath to protect the American people by passing the conference committee bill, the Congress on a bipartisan basis must honor the Constitution by defending our system of checks and balances.

“The President is not above the law. The Congress cannot let the President shred the Constitution.”

Newspaper reactions to the national “emergency” declaration are here.

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