A recent report covered a meeting between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (Dem, S.F.) and a group of four recently elected House members who are persons of color; duly elected by their constituencies; all citizens advised by Mr. Trump to go back to their country of origin’. Each was eager to influence the legislative process. They have been labeled “THE SQUAD” comprised of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (Dem; Bronx, N.Y); Talib, Pressley, and Omar. All are able to be outspoken’ in your face which is how issues get higher priorities and more attention, perhaps even resolution.
A friend, Philip Palmer, distributed a petition which very well documented, as usual – from MomsRising / Mamas con Poder, that demanded that every member of the House and the Senate condemn Trump’s racism as revealed in his attack on Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Talib, Pressley, and Omar. You don’t have to agree with everything that these congress members say to realize that Trump’s attack on THE SQUAD is unacceptable. (Source: Philip Palmer, Email, 07.18.2018 3:14 PM).
With so many urgent public policy issues, it may be a good idea to create five membered squads’ (87 such squads are possible in the 435 member House. Each squad could address and analyze in depth just one public policy issue and share its analysis with others who need to know’. In this manner, some 87 public policy issues could be addressed.
I simply do not know if the House leadership, which includes Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has applied any such method. The traditional approach of having everyone deal with policy issues in committees has been simply unproductive of information which permits crafting of appropriate legislation. Effort is expended to follow the established process’ rather than deal with urgent priorities.
Speaker Pelosi had already established her priorities by crafting legislation dealing with voter rights, gerrymandering and taxation equity. Medicare for All, Affordable Housing, and wealth inequities are also issues which impact all, especially working class constituencies.
An urgent policy issue is for the U.S. Congress to reclaim its authority to declare war (which was recently accomplished so as to curtail Trump’s capability to enter into a warring conflict with Iran).
The meeting was characterized by Republicans as being confrontational so that there were concerns about Dems airing their dirty laundry publically rather than dealing with it behind closed caucus doors.
A leadership challenge is to create and use five membered squads’ to analyze each public policy issue and share that with those colleagues who need to know; who are crafting the legislative language needed. Since the U.S. Congress controls the national purse, it is essential that legislation crafted include appropriate funding allocations which underwrite the actions to be taken.
One necessary analysis which needs to be put in the public limelight is the extreme power and influence of Republican obstructionists. For example, Senator Mitch McConnell
has doubled down on blocking progressive policies, saying that “If I’m still the majority leader in the Senate think of me as the Grim reaper. None of that (progressive) stuff is going to pass.”
Unfortunately, he’s earned that nickname. From protecting Roe v. Wade to taking action to combat the climate crisis, we can’t move progressive policies forward with McConnell leading the Senate.
Democrat and Marine Corps veteran Amy McGrath just launched her campaign against him and we’re helping her raise $8,000 to get her off on the right foot. Defeating McConnell is really important, so I’m asking for your help.” (Source: Maggie Hassan Email, 07.16.2019 9:08 PM).
Trump Presidential campaign planners are co-opting the Democrats by require American manufactured steel be used in all federally funded projects. My brother Mike, a steelworker, will support that and may even vote for Trump in the hopes that that happens. Cheaper foreign steel imports were permitted to compete against American steel/iron products with the result that a “rust belt of shut down American Iron Works exist. And Democrats have not proposed anything about this issue which impacts many steelworkers who are Democrats. It is such moves’ which will re-elect Trump for a second term. I do not hear Democratic Party Leaders voicing any plans to change current public policy which restricts the use of foreign steel & iron on domestic projects.
It’s not just about beating Trump in 2020. What is needed are target squads’ which make plans to beat his GOP cronies and billionaire enablers. This will mean that ordinary Democrats may win back control of the Senate by organizing the collection of small contributions’ in sufficient critical amounts to ensure several victorious efforts. It takes continual vigilance and involvement to return progressive liberal Democrats back as majorities which are in charge’. This may mean that certain Members of the House who have served as elected officials since 1990’s need to be replaced by current aspirants. The current Democratic establishment is not being creative nor strategic enough to elect Democratic majorities’ which have new millennials such as those of ‘The Squad’, which Mr. Trump has immediately targeted because squads with targets have defined missions to accomplish. Less time is spent wondering what to do or address.
My observations are that, with regard to impeachment, the three votes already taken have peaked at 80. It requires 218 Aye votes to move impeachment proceeding along. That is not happening.
Therefore, it is prudent to move resources towards those strategic programs which increase the likelihood that Trump will not garner enough support to earn a second term. This effort will require a voter turnout in excess of 66% during the coming March 2020 primary and especially during the November 2020 Election Day. I project that concentration of resources to achieve essential victories (requiring voter supportive majorities) is more reasonable and will be successful because the American electorate, especially its women and its registered voters of color simply must not allow Mr. Trump to be elected for a second term.
Note that for all his insulting and demeaning statements and documented behaviors (which money could not squelch), Mr. Trump is a genius at creating distractions which disable his opponents. Now there are at least four Democratic Presidential candidates (E. Warren; Pete, the South Bend, Indiana Mayor (and gay person); Kamala Harris; Julian Castro) all, in my opinion, would more than hold their own when debating Trump. The 2020 Presidential campaign is very strategic in that it will impact the future of the American ‘Silent Majority’ who need to wake up, become informed, then act in its best interest. That is what your individual vote, which is your projected voice, will determine come November 2020.
The complicity of staying on the sidelines is not recommended because during 2016 it is what enabled Trump to win enough electoral votes to become the most destructive, inept, and incompetent President of the United States of America. History will, no doubt record that outcome.
To effectively cope with all the above issues, the Democratic leadership, especially Speaker Nancy Pelosi, needs to set up and use’ a sufficient number of “Squads”, at least one for each important issue. This proactive approach will be more effective than the current reactive behavior which is often distracted by Trump’s antics. So let’s create, support and use more ‘squads’.∆
