[ad_1]
Freedom Caucus isn’t the only one gathering a relatively modest number of forces in the Capitol. The centrist problem solvers in his caucus proved in the last Congress that they are willing to force Democratic leadership to make compromises that benefit business interests and the wealthy.
But in the fight for working people and racial equality, the Left is unmatched. The Congressional Progressive Caucus is worthy, but it can’t do the job (more on that below). In a moment of war against the rioting authoritarians of the right and the Democrats of the central corporate alliance, the left is looking for new avenues to harness our collective power for those who need it most. is needed.
It’s time for a new Justice Caucus.
The idea of ​​forming a left-wing Liberal caucus has been debated for years, but the 2022 midterm elections offer a real opportunity for left-wing Democrats to be elected to Congress. The addition of five strong progressives backed by groups such as the Squad and the Working Families Party brings the total number of squad and squad-adjacent members to double digits in the House.
The Justice Commission will be progressive and populist. It will relentlessly focus on shifting wealth and power away from the ruling class in a way that will help the Democrats restore their historic ties to the working class and the organized workers who are beginning to convert to the Republican Party. I will guess. The Justice Commission counters the influence of the Liberty Commission and strengthens both democracy and the Democratic Party.
This new caucus will represent the overwhelming majority of millions of Americans, especially voters under 40, who chose either Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 primary. In that contest, about half of Democrats said their party would fight for a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, free college tuition and universal preschool, and affordable and accessible home care and childcare. You showed what you wanted. The Justice Commission serves as a platform for voters, organizations and elected officials seeking to advance the social democratic agenda and build power together within the Democratic Party.
The Freedom Caucus has proven to be a very effective tool for the conservative movement and can prove to be a force in tough negotiations with leadership. The Justice Commission served as a similarly rigidly defined, ideologically coherent group, ultimately gaining the ability to vote against bills deemed insufficiently progressive. To do.
The Justice Caucus serves as an important complement to the Congressional Progressive Caucus, not a replacement. But it is also true that it is time for something new. The Communist Party of China he founded in 1991, which was a radically different political era. Until the last session, there was no ideological or strategic commitment required to participate in the caucuses. The CPC now has 103 members, the largest ever, ranging from the most progressive Democrats to the more conservative members of the Blue Dog Coalition. It is made up of freshmen as well as members of leadership like newly elected minority leader Hakeem Jeffries. It is nearly impossible to reach unanimous votes, let alone a majority, on major decisions about sex.
The CPC has served as a convenient and powerful tool for moving members in progressive directions, but it is too large and disparate to act as a voting block at key moments. Meanwhile, the Squad (currently up to 8 members) is too small to get enough votes to veto. Larger than the Squad and smaller than the CPC, the Judiciary Committee has votes and ideological unity to withhold support for certain leader-backed measures that the Democrats should never let pass.
The Congressional Progressive Party Caucus continues to perform important outreach and education functions and serves as a key locus of coordination between the broadest definitions of progressives. Conservatives succeed in creating a similar arrangement between the ideologically tight Freedom Her Caucus (54 members) and the broader outreach-oriented Republican Study Group (156 members) doing. Like the Freedom Caucus, the Justice Caucus decides when to take advantage of voting. Similar to the Republican Institute, the CPC presents arguments, policy ideas, and information to persuade members to become more progressive.
In the last session of parliament, CPC chairman Pramila Jayapal and the CPC leadership made an impressive and historic effort to transform the caucus into a more ideologically coherent and strategically united bloc. Their efforts in negotiations with the White House and then-Chairman Nancy Pelosi succeeded in delaying the passage of a centrist-crafted infrastructure bill amid broader policy negotiations, leading to the final decision to cut inflation. contributed to the passage of
The CCP’s efforts to unite progressives have been a surprising success given the difficult circumstances. But that wasn’t enough to finally secure a full legislative agenda for President Joe Biden. This story illustrates the difficulties inherent in trying to turn the caucuses, which represent about half of all House Democrats, into a disciplined force. Willingly oppose party leaders when the is down. We still need a CPC, but it’s easier to create a newer, smaller caucus that can act as a unified bloc, rather than trying to carve out a broad, ideologically diverse group.
By creating a new Justice Caucus, members will have a clean slate defining their participation criteria, allowing the caucus to take a unified strategic and ideological direction. Without the will and the ability to block important votes, the left has only powerful tweets and strongly worded letters.
Indeed, ideologically motivated caucuses have more opportunities to exert power when the party is in power. But even in the Republican-controlled House, progressive votes can matter. If Democratic leaders are making concessions to the corporate sector of the party or to the Republican Party, the left may scrap or modify the deal. Especially given the small size of the Republican majority, a Justice Commission of 12 to her 35 members could extract real victory with a bipartisan imperative package.
The new Justice Caucus won’t be successful all at once. The Squad and other rising progressives in Congress are part of a generational project to reclaim the Democratic Party for Workers, revive the labor movement, and put the country on the path to multi-ethnic social democracy. The movement has always had a staunch supporter, but the rise of the left in today’s Democratic Party really kicked off with Bernie Sanders’s 2016 primary. From Barry Goldwater’s failed 1964 campaign to his 1980 victory over Ronald Reagan, the conservatives took his 16 years. Progressives seeking the Democratic nomination have a similar schedule. In time, we will mature into a sophisticated political force like the Conservative Movement.
For the Left, part of learning how to hold power means being able to put the power you already have to good use. This session of forming the Justice Commission will be an opportunity for a new generation of leftists in Congress to improve shared decision-making and joint strategies without entering the crucible of the majority. The efforts we are taking now prepare us for a greater role in governance when the Democrats return to a majority. Sooner than you think, it will be our turn to take the lead.
[ad_2]
Source link
