Skip to main content

New top story from Time: There’s Nothing Stopping Democrats from Going it Alone on Infrastructure — Except Democrats

https://ift.tt/3vfOIKY

This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday.

If Democrats wanted to pass a straight, party-line infrastructure plan with a price tag reaching into 13 digits, they could. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrested a green-light from the Senate’s rules maven in February that would let Democrats jam a massive spending plan through a budgeting loophole. And, assuming every Democrat holds the line and Vice President Kamala Harris is available that day, Democrats have the votes to spend the $2 trillion on roads, airports, schools and the Internet that President Joe Biden has outlined. Republicans can whine and attack, but they can’t stop it without Democratic help.

Democrats, however, aren’t willing to go that route — at least not yet. The specifics differ among camps but the overriding desire here is the same: Democrats want to stay in power, and the blowback from an all-Team Blue bill on something that should be patently appealing across the spectrum would make their fragile majority even more perilous.

There are some, like Sen. Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly, who know they’re already on borrowed time in the chamber, representing states that don’t normally send Democrats to Washington. Going full-tilt partisan would cut against their claims to be political independents who are fighting for their constituents and not doing the bidding of Democrats broadly. Arizona loves a good maverick, and both Sinema and Kelly have wrapped themselves in that cape. We’ve written in The D.C. Brief before about Manchin’s politics and the pressure he faces at home in West Virginia — the state that gave Trump his second-biggest margin of victory.

Others like Biden-whispering Sen. Chris Coons think there’s no reason to move unilaterally when it’s in Republicans’ interest to make sure their tunnels don’t collapse on top of voters. Even this week, Coons was praising Republicans’ $568 billion counter-offer to the $2 trillion proposal as a good starting point — despite its diminished scale. In the end, it would be just about one-tenth of the new money Biden is seeking. But, sure, let’s start with something, these Democrats argue.

The White House isn’t urging its allies to fall in line on pursuing a unilateral bill, either through pressure applied to lammakers or promises to have vulnerable members’ backs when it comes time to run again. At her daily briefing, Biden spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the White House welcomes the GOP counter and Biden would invite the authors to meet next week. Biden has already been working the Republicans with Oval Office visits and patient listening sessions. Even Biden’s harshest critics have appreciated that the President appears sincerely engaged and has been taking notes.

All of which leaves Schumer in something of a holding pattern. House Democrats, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have shown no hesitation in going it alone, as they did on the last round of stimulus spending to confront the COVID-19 economy. Schumer could do the same, as he did with that bill, which passed 50-49. (Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska missed the vote to attend his father-in-law’s funeral.)

Biden thinks the infrastructure plan deserves Republican buy-in. That may well be the case, but he was also in the room back in 2009 when the Obama team chased Republican votes for their stimulus package, to come up empty in the House and ultimately winning over just three Republican Senators. It was the same way as Obama’s team spent months negotiating with Republicans on what we call Obamacare; in the end, not a single Republican voted for it even after Democrats watered it down and scaled-back its size and ambition.

Republicans like Sen. Lindsey Graham have already been vocal about how they would deploy procedural hiccups to delay an all-Democratic pathway. The Senate parliamentarian gave Schumer a path to pass infrastructure along a party-line vote but underlying Senate rules can still trip up Democrats if they get too greedy. This is part of the reason the White House retains a level of optimism that officials can shepherd a measure into law with broad support and without parliamentary trickery.

But doing so would require everyone involved to set aside their situational awareness. Progressives have been very public about their desire to dismantle the 60-vote filibuster in the Senate for most legislation. Well, the filibuster isn’t a factor here. Democrats could rally together and pass this as a partisan piece of legislation. There aren’t many signs that Republicans are going to come along. After all, they all stood against the last stimulus bill — and then bragged to constituents about all of the goodies that were heading home. No, really. That happened. Again. In the words of Pelosi, they “vote no and take the dough.”

But Schumer knows politics better than most in this town. Sure, he could force Manchin to take a difficult vote. But he’d also be sacrificing possibly the only Democrat who can win that seat in the state. Sure, Manchin can be a thorn in Democrats’ side — but he’s a heckuva’ lot better for their agenda than his last opponent, a former pharmaceutical lobbyist who as West Virginia’s attorney general spent a good bit of time fighting Obama’s EPA and gun safety regulations.

It’s similar for Sinema and Kelly. Arizona Republicans are still fighting Biden’s win in the state, conducting an audit this week trying to prove Trump’s baseless claims that fraud cost him the state. Biden became the first Democratic to win electoral votes from the state since 1996. Democrats can win in Arizona; it’s just that they don’t win it when they’re running as true-blue partisans. The question lingers: Is winning this vote worth Schumer yielding the majority back to Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for at least two more years?

Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the daily D.C. Brief newsletter.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J बिग बॉस 14: सलमान का फार्महाउस, 16 प्रतिभागी, देखिए धमाकेदार लिस्ट

सलमान खान के शो बिग बॉस के नए सीज़न को लेकर काफी समय से अटकलें चल रही हैं और अब इस सीज़न को लेकर काफी खबरें बाहर आ चुकी हैं। सबसे पहली बात तो ये कि ये सीज़न सलमान खान अपने from टेलीविजन की खबरें | Television News in Hindi | TV Serials Update in Hindi – FilmiBeat Hindi http:/hindi.filmibeat.com/television/bigg-boss-14-details-salman-khan-s-panvel-farmhouse-16-contestants-see-list-090656.html?utm_source=/rss/filmibeat-hindi-television-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.11.231.151&utm_campaign=client-rss

MTA Board of Directors Welcomes Lydia So

MTA Board of Directors Welcomes Lydia So By Stephen Chun Lydia So, a championed public servant, advocate for the AAPI community and an accomplished urban planner, designer and architect, has joined the SFMTA’s Board of Directors. She was appointed in June 2023 and sworn in by Mayor London Breed on Aug. 23, 2023, at Central Subway’s Chinatown Rose Pak Station, in line with her personal connection with the Chinatown community.   So was born in Hong Kong and is fluent in Chinese (Cantonese). She is the founder of the architecture firm SOLYD Architecture, Management and Design. She is a former Historic Preservation Commissioner for the San Francisco Planning Department where she voted in favor of the Potrero Yard Modernization Project that is expected to bring hundreds of housing units to our city while maintaining the functions of the SFMTA. She was the first Chinese American Historic Preservation Commissioner, implemented the Planning Department’s Racial and Social Equity po...

SFMTA Staffers Share their Favorite SF Bike Rides

SFMTA Staffers Share their Favorite SF Bike Rides By Eillie Anzilotti Happy Bike Month, San Francisco! To celebrate, we’re sharing some of SFMTA staffers’ favorite rides through the city. From protected bike lanes to quick-build projects to Slow Streets, the JFK Promenade, and the Great Highway, all of the routes roll through projects that the SFMTA has completed in the last several years to make biking through San Francisco easier, safer, and joyful. We hope you get some inspiration for your next ride--and share your favorite route with us! For easy trip planning, we’ve included each ride below on an interactive map .   Jeffrey Tumlin, Director of Transportation: “I explore all of San Francisco by bike, but this is a standard trip: Starting from the Castro, I head up the Slow Street on Noe, where I like to admire the trees and people watch in Duboce Park. Then, I ride north on Scott to Fell Street along the Panhandle. When I reach the new JFK Promenade, it’s amazing how ...

Public Artwork Unveiled Inside New Station in Yerba Buena

Public Artwork Unveiled Inside New Station in Yerba Buena By Enrique Aguilar Have you had a chance to explore the Central Subway's new stations? Special weekend service is Saturdays and Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. midnight, through the end of the year. Ride the trains and be mesmerized by beautiful artwork at each new station.  Muni customers will encounter public art when using the four new Central Subway stations to reach their destinations. The art was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission and funded by the City’s Art Enrichment Ordinance, which allocates 2% of the total eligible costs of public works projects for public art. Public art helps draw out the identity of a space, aids in understanding a neighborhood's historical or cultural significance, and builds a connection between the visitor and surrounding community.  The Yerba Buena/Moscone Station includes artwork by Catherine Wagner, Leslie Shows and Roxy Paine. The installations can be found on th...

Get a Text, Not a Tow

Get a Text, Not a Tow By Erica Kato Today we are pleased to announce “Text Before Tow,” a first-of-its-kind program where customers can sign up to receive a text message notification prior to having their vehicle towed. This pilot program applies to four categories of tows: (1) parking more than 72-hours (2) blocked driveways (3) construction zones and (4) temporary no-parking zones such as special event or moving trucks. These categories represent 27% of all vehicles towed in 2020, approximately 12,500. It is important to note that peak-hour tow-away lanes, hazards, yellow or white zones and all other violations are not included.   To enroll a vehicle, customers need to complete a short online form to register their license plate and phone number. When a customer’s vehicle is about to be towed, they will receive a text notifying them that a tow truck has been dispatched. Note: Vehicles will still receive a citation for the violation from Parking Control Officers (...

Sunday Streets Returns October 17, with Phoenix Day

Sunday Streets Returns October 17, with Phoenix Day By Pamela Johnson For 13 years, the SFMTA and Livable City have brought "Sunday Streets" to San Francisco neighborhoods. Sunday Streets encourages communities to transform miles of car-congested streets into car-free spaces for neighbors to gather, kids to play, and for organizations and businesses to connect. On October 17, 2021, after more than 18 months of Covid-related shutdowns, Sunday Streets Phoenix Day will again bring free recreational activities, resources, and fun to the streets for tens of thousands of San Franciscans to enjoy. While Sunday Streets was celebrated in one neighborhood at a time in the past, this year's Phoenix Day spans various districts in the City for a simultaneous celebration of community, health, and resilience. This year's theme is "One City. One day. Rising together.”  Highlights this year include historic Sunday Streets SF routes, a 20+ mile community bike ride, three neighb...

Destination San Francisco: Muni Gets You to All the Sights

Destination San Francisco: Muni Gets You to All the Sights By 39 Coit servicing Coit Tower at Telegraph Hill – one of the routes that will be returning in August 2021 as part of Muni’s next service changes. San Francisco is reopening and the  SFMTA is supporting economic recovery by providing Muni access to 98% of the city.  By August 2021, a majority of our pre-COVID routes will be back in service connecting residents and visitors with world-class shopping and dining experiences, off-the-beaten-path local flare, diverse neighborhoods and almost boundless outdoor activities.  Shops, Markets & Dining in Diverse Neighborhoods  Virtually every neighborhood in San Francisco has its own boutique shopping and dining experiences, as well as unique farmers markets showcasing local shops and amenities....

How Improving Muni Also Makes Life Better for Drivers

How Improving Muni Also Makes Life Better for Drivers By Andrea Buffa Photo credit: We Ride Australia If you mostly drive to get around San Francisco, you may be wondering, “what has the SFMTA done for me lately?” San Francisco is a “ transit first ” city, so at the SFMTA we focus our resources on making it easier for San Franciscans to get around by public transit as well as by biking, walking and personal mobility device. While it may seem like adding transit lanes and protected bike lanes doesn’t have anything to do with driving, in fact, it does.  Since San Francisco doesn’t have room to give more space to roads, we have to change the way we use the limited space on our existing streets. (Not that adding more roads reduces traffic anyway – check out this article .) City Traffic Engineer Ricardo Oleo puts it this way: “When you have a city like San Francisco that was built with density in mind, having everyone drive is not a viable option. There’s not enough room to have th...

L Taraval Improvement Project Update

L Taraval Improvement Project Update By Sevilla Mann Roundtable at the Community Parklet Shares Project Updates  This past week, the SFMTA hosted a media roundtable discussing updates about the L Taraval Improvement Project at the community parklet located in front of the The Rolling Out Café  on Taraval St.   Segment B construction began in February 2022 and is scheduled to be completed Fall 2024. Sewer and water infrastructure work is currently taking place. Future work includes track work, overhead line work, the construction of new boarding islands and streetscape improvements.    On hand to answer questions and provide updates was District Four Supervisor Gordon Mar, SFMTA Board Director Sharon Lai and Director of Transportation Jefferey Tumlin.   The Roundtable  Supervisor Mar opened the discussion by highlighting the many benefits that the local community will receive with the planned infrastructure upgrades along the cor...

SFMTA Announces New Initiative to Address Safety

SFMTA Announces New Initiative to Address Safety By Kimberly Burrus SFMTA staff celebrating women’s history Safety is an absolute priority for the SFMTA. We’ve heard loud and clear that personal safety is a growing concern for the public and staff and we’ve taken a lot of steps to increase safety across our system. We also know there is much work to do to address some of the most pervasive ways harassment and violence show up in public transportation.   This April as we observe Sexual Harassment Awareness Month, the SFMTA is proud to announce that we are developing a new Safety Equity Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to reduce and eventually eliminate gender-based harassment and violence on Muni.  Gender-based harassment is one of the most widespread and persistent forms of violence. It impacts women, girls and gender-expansive people — people who don’t conform to traditional gender roles — of all ages, abilities, races, ethnicities, and cultural and langua...