Socialism on the rise: Democrats take the House to push for massive government expansion



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The growing socialist wing of the Democratic Party will falter on Thursday with the convening of the new Congress, as more and more self-proclaimed Socialist Democrats join the ranks and dozens of governing members and new members – including Likely hopes for 2020 – embrace the government's enlargement that would make FDR look like a penny.

The party's agenda is increasingly adopting the policies of major governments such as "Medicare-for-all" and employment guarantee programs, as well as an aggressive "Green New Deal" . This would include all this and more as part of a fundamental overhaul of the US economy, and more specifically its energy sector.

It is not known when and if any of them will reach the bar, let alone the vote of the House. But their growing support marks in a few years an astonishing rise in policies with socialist tendencies, and reflects a radical change within the party. An amazing Gallup poll from last summer showed that Democrats saw socialism in a more positive way than capitalism. The term "democratic socialist" has only been widely popularized by Bernie Sanders, chair of the 2016 presidency, who identifies him as such. The enthusiasm behind his candidacy underscored the fact that ideas once marinated at the edge of the party were becoming more and more commonplace.

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  Rashida Tlaib, Democrat candidate at the 13th Michigan Congress, smiles at a rally in Dearborn, Michigan on Friday, October 26 2018. (AP Photo / Paul Sancya)

Rashida Tlaib, Democrat candidate at the 13th Michigan Congress, smiles at a rally in Dearborn, Mich., Friday, October 26, 2018. (AP Photo / Paul Sancya)

Two more Democratic Socialists will join Sanders in Congress Thursday: representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. And Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. Ocasio-Cortez has taken the mantle, while Tlaib is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). And although Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib represent only a fraction of the new Democratic majority in the House, they have attracted overwhelming media attention and push policies with dozens of supporters.

Medicare-for-all especially picks up quick support. According to a New York Times analysis, one-third of Democrats in the Senate and more than half of Democrats in the House have approved the Medicare for All proposals, including a number of potential presidential candidates for 2020. Such proposals would lead to greater government involvement in health care and bring the United States closer to predominantly socialized systems such as the British National Health Service. Their popularity is due to frustration with the current private insurance system, which remains expensive in the individual market despite ObamaCare's goals. And while Medicare-for-all would cost tens of billions of dollars over a decade, advocates believe that part of that sum would replace the expenses already borne by millions of Americans.

But even more ambitious than Medicare for all is what is called the Green New Deal. While echoing the language of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, the Green New Deal could be an even bigger shake-up of the government and the economic situation. The plan, backed by groups such as the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats, aims to fight both climate change and income inequality – and has been taken up by lawmakers such as Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.

"We call for war – the level, just a plan for economic mobilization to achieve 100% renewable energy as soon as possible," tweeted Ocasio-Cortez.

A draft text circulated around the Congress calls for the creation of a small committee to create a plan and define a framework that includes the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing sector and agriculture and the "spectacular" expansion of energy sources to meet 100% of the demand for energy produced from renewable sources

. poverty in the United States and put prosperity, wealth and economic security at the disposal of all who participate in the transformation. "

therefore requires an employment guarantee program that offers" a life-saving job to anyone who wants one ", a" just transition "for workers affected by climate change, programs of basic income, universal health care "and any other program deemed useful by the select committee, appropriate to promote economic security, labor market flexibility and the entrepreneurial spirit."

Regarding at least the supposedly gigantic cost that would entail a redesign of the country's economy and energy sector, the funding of the "Plan" would be accomplished by "the federal government, using a combination of the Federal Reserve, a new public bank or a system of regional and specialized public banks, public venture capital funds and such other vehicles or structures as the Select Committee deems appropriate s, in order to secure the and other investment income generated by the public investments made under the scheme will be returned to the Treasury, thus easing the burden on taxpayers. low for more investments. "

Indeed, the long-standing question is how to pay for all this. But the response has generally avoided details, saying the US has found a way to pay other huge costs in the past. In a subsequent FAQ, a leader explains that the plan would be funded by "the same means we used for World War II and many other wars".

"The Federal Reserve may grant credits to support these projects and investments. public banks can be created (as in World War II) to grant credits and a combination of various taxation tools (including carbon taxes and other emissions and progressive wealth taxes) can be used ", he says.

The Conservatives warn, however, that these ambitious programs would bring generational damage to the US economy.

"Together, the Ocasio-Cortez proposals would effectively eliminate fossil fuels from most of society, destroying millions of jobs and billions of dollars in wealth. , requires to "modernize" every home and business in America, create a federal employment guarantee program, impose single payer health care (costing billions more), set up a new system of state-owned banks, raise the national debt of one trillion and bring the United States closer to socialism, "said Justin Haskins, a researcher at the Heartland Institute, in an editorial for Fox News. "If we do not stop it, it will destroy our economy for a whole generation of Americans."

Some liberal commentators have been receptive to the proposals. Paul Krugman of The New York Times said the meaning of the New Deal Green was not clear, "making it a good slogan".

Such a radical policy would almost certainly have disappeared on arrival, as long as Republicans would control. at least one House of Congress or the White House. Krugman noted the political realities of the left, arguing that the Democrats could not adopt such a plan this year "but they should start preparing now and be ready to act in two years".

But regardless of the progress made, these proposals could be made in the House, they are already part of the 2020 conversation. Senator Cory Booker, DN.J., who was approached for a candidacy at the White House , said last month that he was "delighted" to support the Green New Deal.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Senator Kamala Harris "said:" D-Calif., The staff has been in touch with the organizers of the Green New Deal. Axios reported Wednesday that Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Who had just created an exploratory committee for a presidential race, was supporting a Green New Deal.

"Senator Warren has long defended the energetic fight against climate change and the renewable energies and supports the idea of ​​a Green New Deal to tackle ambitiously our climate crisis , to economic inequality and racial injustice, "said a newspaper assistant.

Warren, Harris and Booker also supported separate Medicare-for-all schemes

In the House, the Sunrise movement says it has more than 40 members of the House who support the Green New Deal, including including representatives Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Joe Kennedy, D-Mass., Ted Lieu, D -Calif. And Veronica Escobar, D-Texas.

However, Democratic leaders have been cautious before adopting such proposals. Roll Call reported that Representative Frank Pallone, DN.J., who is chaired chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said he supported the idea of ​​Medicare for all but did not did not think the votes were there.

Earlier this week, Democrats in the House formalized proposals for a new climate change committee, but without the features Green New Deal proponents sought – such as the power to subpoena appear and the power to vote on legislation and send it directly to the government. House Floor.

A sign of possible tension within the party was visible in November, when environmental activists took part in a sit-in in front of the office of the president-elect, Nancy Pelosi, asking her leaders to do more Green New Deal .

Ocasio-Cortez joined the protesters: "We must tell him that we have found him by showing and pursuing the most progressive energy program this country has ever seen." 19659030] [ad_2]
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