What's on Our Mind 4-30-2021

What's On Our Mind

President Joe Biden’s ultimate success — and our country’s — hinges on Congress. He needs a strong Democratic majority in the House and Senate to ensure that he can turn his plans into action.

Today, the Democrats have the slimmest majority in the House since the 1880s with only six seats. The Senate is evenly split. Vice President Kamala Harris can cast the tie-breaking vote, but her opportunity is limited because most bills are subject to the filibuster.

We knew our political battle was not over when Biden won the White House. Now we must work to shore up his support in Congress. 

The loss of any Congressional seat will be detrimental. Nearly two dozen JAC candidates won in 2020 with single digits percentages. Several even won by less than two percent. They are already being targeted by the GOP with negative ad campaigns. They will be facing an uphill battle to win re-election in 2022.

The next election will be just as critical as the last. If we lose the House and the Senate in 2022, it won’t matter if Biden is in the White House. All of his plans will be stymied by the hype-partisanship of the GOP.

It took 1,561 days for our country to get to Biden’s 100th day in office. After the divisive, dangerous, and crippling days of the Trump Administration, Biden had much to do — and he has delivered. 

Some of the most significant accomplishments include: 200 million vaccine doses in American’s arms; an economic plan to get America back on its feet; reversing the travel ban targeting largely Muslim countries; reinstating protections for undocumented people brought into the country as children; rejoining the Paris Climate Accords; and repealing a Trump-era ban on most transgender Americans joining the military. 

Each day, President Biden is pulling our nation out of the pandemic crisis and repairing the soul of the nation, as he promised during his campaign.

But, these past 100 days are just a start. Biden’s work is far from over. This is what he wants to do next: ban ghost guns, assault weapons, and high-capacity magazines; reauthorize VAWA and protect women from domestic violence; help women get back into the workforce; increase paid family and medical leave; and deliver clean water and high-speed internet to all American families.

"In America: we do our part. That’s all I’m asking. That we all do our part. And if we do, then we will meet the central challenge of the age by proving that democracy is durable and strong,” Biden said in his 100-day joint address to Congress.

Democracy can only remain durable and strong if we elect candidates that care about good government and put country over politics. Our part is to support JAC and its candidates. Elections have consequences.