What Should the Democrats in Congress Do Now? Both during the remaining weeks of the lame-duck Congress, and during 2027-2028.
(I found no appropriate extant thread for this. The automated software(?) calls my attention to three similar topics, but none of the three has been posed to since the terms of Bush-43!)
The Democratic Congress needs to push for
- Ending the war on Iran
- Ending the tariffs
- Restoring Medicaid, SNAP and other welfare programs degraded by the Big Beautiful Republicans
ALL three of these priorities will offer immediate relief to Americans suffering from increased costs. The cost of living was the key issue on which Americans voted, and the D agenda should focus on that. After January they can pass this legislation (Win-win whether Trump vetoes or not); but even now they should fight for these, inviting Rs to help and exposing R hypocrisy, should the Rs vote instead for continued suffering.
A “continuing resolution” will be required in December to keep the government going. Democrats should refuse to accept any CR without a clause stopping the Iran War, something like
This is how the Vietnam War ended: cf. Case–Church Amendment, 1 July 1973.
After these top priorities, the Ds can pass Medicare-For-All; subsidize schools; restore USAID; restore EPA; etc. Programs that clearly help America and Americans.
These pocketbook issues need to be the top priority. Sure, it would be sweet to impeach or imprison some of the Trumpist menagerie of criminals. But focusing on this would excite only the left-wing. If Ds focus on this, “Centrists” will label the D’s as “Same-same” and a Red wave in 2028 will reverse these electoral gains.