Fighting Back

Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Why do Senate Republicans hate America?”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut calling out Senate Republicans for blocking a vote on the background check bill.

“Our colleagues in the House passed a bipartisan background check bill 115 days ago, but instead of calling for a vote, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has created a do-nothing Senate instead.”

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats are committed to putting patients first and protecting every American’s right to health care.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) highlighting the Health Care for All Americans Weekend of Action.

(Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky highlighted the Health Care for All Americans Weekend of Action, which will spotlight House Democrats’ actions to protect people with pre-existing conditions and lower prescription drug prices.)

“My colleagues across the nation are holding rallies, events, and roundtables [this weekend] to highlight all of our bold legislative action to protect the health of the American people. […]

“House Democrats are committed to continue working to put patients first and protecting every American.

“These issues are just some of the ways House Democrats are driving forward what we call our For The People agenda.

“I encourage you to follow up with your representative to hear more about their work to protect and strengthen your health care. I’m proud to be part of a Democratic Majority, led by Speaker Pelosi, dedicated to working to protect and improve health care For The People.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Congress must act on election security to protect our democracy.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Mark Warner of Virginia calling out Republicans for their refusal to pass laws protecting our elections.

“Congress must work together to protect our democracy and reassure Americans that their votes will be counted in 2020. We cannot let election security become another tombstone in the Republican Senate’s legislative graveyard.”

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Republicans are trying to score putrid political points while storm damaged communities cry out for help.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri. He highlighted the pressing need to pass the bipartisan disaster relief package to support communities ravaged by natural disasters.

(Congressman Emanuel Cleaver highlighted the pressing need to pass the bipartisan disaster relief package to support communities ravaged by natural disasters, a bill which House Republicans have sabotaged three times in the past week.)

“We can disagree on policy, in fact it’s healthy to disagree and debate, however, when it comes to the aiding communities razed by raging storms or American families facing tragedy, we must come together for the sake of the people.

“The American people – Republican and Democrat, rural and urban – are counting on us to provide the relief they have been waiting on. I have no doubt that we will meet the challenge before us and provide what the people are calling for, but I would urge all of my colleagues to take some time this weekend to reflect on how we’ve reached this low point when even natural disasters cannot bridge the political divide of our body.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats remain committed to working #ForThePeople”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan discussing the “legislative graveyard” presided over by Proud-to-Be-Grim-Reaper Mitch McConnell, a man happy to deny Senate votes on initiatives passed in the House and supported by a majority of Americans.

From Twitter.

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats will continue to fight for your access to health care.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Rep. Annie Kuster from New Hampshire reminding us that only one party cares about protecting the health care of those with pre-existing health conditions.

(In this week’s address, Congresswoman Annie Kuster of New Hampshire highlights the passage of the Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act and the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act.)

“Over the past several weeks, the House has passed critical legislation to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions, lower the cost of prescription drugs and fight back against the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act.

“I was proud that the House passed my legislation, the Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, to stop the Trump Administration from promoting junk health plans, that don’t even cover our most common ailments, and yet lead to higher out of pocket costs.

“Allergies, Alzheimers, asthma, cancer, diabetes – you can go right through the alphabet. We cannot go back to a time when Americans living with these pre-existing conditions can be charged more or even denied care. Heart disease, high blood pressure, the list goes on and on. Whatever your condition, we will fight for your access to care.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Improving instead of destroying the Affordable Care Act”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada discussing the Republican Party’s plan to destroy the Affordable Care Act.

(In the weekly Democratic address, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) talked about health care and the Affordable Care Act.)

“Health care is one of the top kitchen table issues in Nevada. I cannot even begin to count the number of Nevadans who have shared how they would be affected by the courts striking down protections in our healthcare system.”

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “On the climate crisis, we simply don’t have any more time for denial or delay.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida, chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, highlighting H.R. 9 the Climate Action Now Act.

(Congresswoman Castor highlighted the passage of H. R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, which takes a bold first step to protect our planet by keeping us in the Paris Climate Agreement and laying the foundation for further innovative action.)

To address the climate crisis, we need to stop carbon pollution from accumulating in our atmosphere. That requires action. Urgent action. Ambitious action.

We simply don’t have any more time for denial or delay. An entire generation has grown up in a rapidly warming world and we are personally experiencing the harm. Scientists say it will get worse, unless we act.[…]

Despite what the Trump Administration says, we are still in the [Paris Climate Agreement]. We have not formally withdrawn. And if – and when – this bill becomes law, we never will. Because we need climate policy that works For The People, not well-connected corporate polluters in the Trump Administration.

That’s why we’re going to cut carbon pollution, protect the people and places we love, advance climate justice, and create a clean energy economy that works for everyone.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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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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