@zahlanzi said
8 democrats voted against 15$ min wage to be added to the relief bill. If 8 republicans voted against McConnell whe he was majority leader there would have been hell to pay.

Schumer won't do jack. He is weak/unwilling.


Oh well, business as usual. Good luck getting people to vote for you in 2020

(Shrug) 3 Republicans voted to save the ACA in 2017 and Murkowski and Collins are still in the Senate and McCain would be except for his death. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-gop-effort-repeal-obamacare-fails-n787311

@zahlanzi said
1. Democrats win power
2. Moderat(republican lite) democrats prevent any measures proposed by progressive democrats
3. Democrats lose power
4. Moderat democrats blame progressives for being too radical, unrealistic, childish, socialists etc.
5. Republicans win power and make the rich richer
6. GOTO 1


You are at step 2.

This is the difference between getting Dems in power and progressives in power. There are too few in the Democratic party, and too many of these "moderate" Dems.

Nearly the entire roster of Democratic candidates rallied behind Biden to stop Sanders from winning the nomination, accusing him of being too radical. These people are the reason why the cycle in the OP exists.

@vivify said
This is the difference between getting Dems in power and progressives in power. There are too few in the Democratic party, and too many of these "moderate" Dems.

Nearly the entire roster of Democratic candidates rallied behind Biden to stop Sanders from winning the nomination, accusing him of being too radical. These people are the reason why the cycle in the OP exists.

It's too pessimistic not to recognize that progressives have pushed the Democratic Party and large masses of the American People further to the Left than would have seemed possible not too long ago. The legislation just passed, while imperfect, adopts many policies which will improve the lives of the poor and working class. That is was a #1 priority of an establishment Democratic like Biden means something, not nothing.

The post that was quoted here has been removed

Your irrelevant personalizing is noted and is, as always, a detriment to reasoned debate. I assume you haven't bothered to look at the bill actually passed but it provides substantial aid to the poor and working class even if it fails to usher in an immediate dictatorship of the proletariat (which seems to be the only legislation which would satisfy you and a few others here). Besides the stimulus checks (which are progressive in nature) and the aid to underfunded State and local governments the bill provides:

" Nutrition assistance
The Senate and House plans both extend the 15% increase in food stamp benefits through September, instead of having it expire at the end of June.
They also contain $880 million for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, to help increase participation and temporarily improve benefits, among other measures. Biden called for investing $3 billion in the program.
And they would allow states to continue the Pandemic-EBT, which provides families whose children's schools are closed with funding to replace free- and reduced-price meals the kids would have received, through the summer.
Housing aid
Both bills would send roughly $20 billion to state and local governments to help low-income households cover back rent, rent assistance and utility bills.
About $10 billion would be authorized to help struggling homeowners pay their mortgages, utilities and property taxes.
The bills would provide $5 billion to help states and localities assist those at risk of experiencing homelessness and another $5 billion for emergency housing vouchers for those who are homeless.
Tax credits for families and workers
Both the House and Senate legislation beef up tax credits for families and certain low-income workers for 2021.
In an effort to combat poverty, lawmakers would expand the child tax credit to $3,600 for each child under 6 and $3,000 for each child under age 18. Currently, qualifying families can receive a credit of up to $2,000 per child under age 17.
The credit would also become fully refundable so more low-income parents could take advantage of it. Plus, families could receive payments monthly, rather than a lump sum once a year, which would make it easier for them to pay the bills.
The bills also enhance the earned income tax credit for workers without children by nearly tripling the maximum credit and extending eligibility to more people. The minimum age to claim the childless credit would be reduced to 19, from 25, and the upper age limit would be eliminated.
This would be the largest expansion to earned income tax credit since 2009.
Optional paid sick and family leave
Unlike Biden's initial proposal, neither bill would reinstate mandatory paid family and sick leave approved in a previous Covid relief package. But they continue to provide tax credits to employers who voluntarily choose to offer the benefit through October 1.
Last year, Congress guaranteed many workers two weeks pay if they contracted Covid or were quarantining. It also provided an additional 10 weeks of paid family leave to those who were staying home with kids whose schools were closed. Those benefits expired in December.
Education and child care
Both the Senate and House bills would provide nearly $130 billion to K-12 schools to help students return to the classroom. Schools would be allowed to use the money to update their ventilation systems, reduce class sizes to help implement social distancing, buy personal protective equipment and hire support staff. Both bills would require that schools use at least 20% of the money to address learning loss by providing extended days or summer school, for example.
While the money provided by the House bill would go to both public and private schools, based on the number of low-income students enrolled, the Senate bill specifically carves out about $2.75 billion for private schools.
The bills are in line with what Biden proposed, but call for more than six times the amount of funding for K-12 schools than a compromise plan offered by a small group of Republican senators.
The Senate and House plans both include nearly $40 billion for colleges.
Altogether, $170 billion would be authorized for K-12 schools and higher education. Last year, Congress approved a total of $112 billion between two relief packages that went to K-12 schools and colleges.
The bills would also provide about $39 billion to child care providers. The amount a provider receives would be based on operating expenses and is available to pay employees and rent, help families struggling to pay the cost, and purchase personal protective equipment and other supplies.
Health insurance subsidies and Medicaid
Both the Senate and House bills would make federal premium subsidies for Affordable Care Act policies more generous and would eliminate the maximum income cap for two years.
Enrollees would pay no more than 8.5% of their income towards coverage, down from nearly 10% now. Also, those earning more than the current cap of 400% of the federal poverty level -- about $51,000 for an individual and $104,800 for a family of four in 2021 -- would become eligible for help.
In addition, the bills would bolster subsidies for lower-income enrollees, eliminating their premiums completely, and would do the same for those collecting unemployment benefits in 2021.
But the Senate bill provides more assistance than the House version to those who were laid off but want to remain on their employer health insurance plans through COBRA. The Senate calls for picking up the full amount of the premium, while the House would only cover 85%, leaving the former employee to pay 15%.
Both chambers would extend these subsidies through September.
Also, the Senate retains the House provision that seeks to entice states that have yet to expand Medicaid to low-income adults to do so by boosting their federal Medicaid matching funds by 5 percentage points for two years.
More money for small businesses
Both bills would provide $15 billion to the Emergency Injury Disaster Loan program, which provides long-term, low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration. Severely impacted small businesses with fewer than 10 workers will be given priority for some of the money.
They also provide $25 billion for a new grant program specifically for bars and restaurants. Eligible businesses may receive up to $10 million and can use the money for a variety of expenses, including payroll, mortgage and rent, utilities and food and beverages.
The Paycheck Protection Program, which is currently taking applications for second-round loans, would get an additional $7 billion and the bills would make more non-profit organizations eligible.
Another $175 million would be used for outreach and promotion, creating a Community Navigator Program to help target eligible businesses.
Vaccines and testing
The Senate and House bills provide $14 billion to research, develop, distribute, administer and strengthen confidence in vaccines. They would also put $47.8 billion toward testing, contact tracing and mitigation, including investing in laboratory capacity, community-based testing sites and mobile testing units, particularly in medically underserved areas.
Both chambers would also allocate $7.7 billion to hire 100,000 public health workers to support coronavirus response.
The Senate and House legislation also provide $50 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with some of the funds going toward expanding vaccination efforts.
The President's plan called for investing $20 billion in a national vaccination program.
Rural hospital assistance
The Senate bill allocates $8.5 billion to help struggling rural hospitals and health care providers."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/04/politics/stimulus-senate-democrats-proposal/index.html

Maybe you think increases in the child care credit, the earned income credit, SNAP benefits, housing cost aid, increases in ACA premium subsidies, investments in local schools, etc. etc. etc. are of no benefit to "poor, needy and desperate people" but I assure you they think differently.

@no1marauder said
Here's what Bernie Sanders said of the bill:

"As Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, I am proud that we passed the American Rescue Plan, which, in my view, is the most significant piece of legislation to benefit working families in the modern history of this country.

This package, among many other things, increases direct payments by $1400, extends unemp ...[text shortened]... ople as possible, and puts us on a path to safely reopen schools."

https://twitter.com/SenSanders

Just because they passed something doesn't let them off the hook for minimum wage. What, you're worried americans will get spoiled if they get too much? That it's enough to give the people what they desperately need because of a deadly disease but not what they needed for two decades?

Democrats just signaled Manchin that in this senate he is the most powerful senator. That isn't a cause for celebration.

The post that was quoted here has been removed

Again, I'm going to ignore future posts by you since you insist on making them all about this petty, one-sided feud you have created on this board.

As everyone, including you knows, I support a national $15 minimum wage.

@zahlanzi said
Just because they passed something doesn't let them off the hook for minimum wage. What, you're worried americans will get spoiled if they get too much? That it's enough to give the people what they desperately need because of a deadly disease but not what they needed for two decades?

Democrats just signaled Manchin that in this senate he is the most powerful senator. That isn't a cause for celebration.

(Shrug) Better Manchin than Moscow Mitch.

Bernie recognizes the substantial benefits of this legislation even as he fights for even more progressive legislation in the future. That's a responsible position for a public servant even if it doesn't satisfy fanatics.

@no1marauder said
(Shrug) Better Manchin than Moscow Mitch.

Bernie recognizes the substantial benefits of this legislation even as he fights for even more progressive legislation in the future. That's a responsible position for a public servant even if it doesn't satisfy fanatics.

There you go again with the "lesser of two evils " mantra again .
And , of course , the liberal Dem tactic of cherrypicking Bernie Sanders quotes .
"Things will get better , just wait (and then wait some more )" is a farce and you know it . Forty years of Dem lies and incompetence still have not jaded your hope . Good luck with that .

@no1marauder said
It's too pessimistic not to recognize that progressives have pushed the Democratic Party and large masses of the American People further to the Left than would have seemed possible not too long ago. The legislation just passed, while imperfect, adopts many policies which will improve the lives of the poor and working class. That is was a #1 priority of an establishment Democratic like Biden means something, not nothing.

I applaud what Dems have done so far. The problem comes with Dems passing legislation that Big Business or wealthy corporate donors oppose. The $15 minimum wage is one such legislation, which would affect their profits; Dems are backing down.

Another example are the Democratic candidates who opposed single-payer healthcare. Establishment Dems like Buttigieg said that was too radical, and instead proposed "government healthcare for those who want it". That statement shows a complete lack of understanding of how healthcare works, ignoring the fact that doctors will obviously only accept healthcare that gives them more money for their services, which private insurers would do to phase out government healthcare. This is why many doctors already refuse Medicaid:

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/doctors-less-likely-to-accept-medicaid-than-other-insurance/546941/

And it's also why Democrats rallied behind Biden to defeat Sanders in the primary.

The problem with Dems is that progressivism pushes back against exploitation from the wealthy; for example, the Green New Deal is an affront to the fossil fuel industry. Too few Dems are willing to be progressive.

I will concede this: it's a bad idea to ignore the good Dems have done so far. You're correct here. Doing so feeds the idea that Democrats aren't doing anything at all, resulting in Dems helping Republicans to bash themselves.

That said, we can't be complacent and let Dems off the hook when they're finally in a position of power for the first time since Obama's first term. Republicans wasted no time giving the rich a 1.3 trillion dollar tax break and passing a slew of laws to benefit their donors. Dems should be just a zealous with progressive agendas.