Fired Up Democrats Unveil A List Of Bills They Will Pass If They Take Back The House

Democrats say, "We think Americans want a Congress that is on its side." And they promise to pass legislation to back up that promise within 100 days of…

House Democrats are on the warpath. They’ve upped the ante against House repugicans by coming up with an entire slate of legislation meant to address the actual concerns of actual citizens. They’re calling it Middle Class Jumpstart. It’s meant to jumpstart the middle class and those trying to get into the middle class.

House Democrats are promising to pass this legislation within 100 days a Democratic House Majority.

They say the Jumpstart puts the middle class ahead of special interests. Jumpstart has three prongs: Good paying jobs, support for women, and affordable and accessible education.

In a phone conference with reporters today, Leader Pelosi explained, “It’s a very positive agenda… These are issues the public has been telling us they are concerned about.” Pelosi said the economy is improving, but the folks at home still have concerns. What Democrats are promising isn’t just rhetoric, “For every initiative we are putting forth, we have legislation to match it.” She continued, “One of the things we can do is bring repugicans around, but it won’t help to elect more people with the same agenda.”

Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said that a key point in their plan is the “Make it in America” plan, “Something both sides agree on and has bipartisan support, which will expand manufacturing so we can get good paying jobs.” The Democrats want to give tax breaks to folks who create jobs here – “on-shoring” jobs, as opposed to repugicans who have worked hard to protect the tax breaks for companies that offshore.

Hoyer talked about the difference between repugicans and Democrats, using the repuican refusal to help during Sandy as an example of how the repugican approach is “You’re on your own.”

He said that the Jumpstart plan will show Americans that the Democrats are on their side and armed with a plan to help, “It will be clear to Americans that no only do we have a plan, but we are on their side, while repugicans have been telling Americans ‘You’re on your own’. A perfect example is when Sandy hit the coast, and repugicans said ‘We’re not going to help.’”

Hoyer hit the sweet spot when he said, “We think Americans want a Congress that is on its side.” If that is possible, it is surely what the public not only wants and needs, but deserves.

The Democrats’ Make It In America plan:

• repugicans voted to give tax breaks to companies that ship American jobs overseas
• Democrats will introduce the “21st Century Make It In America Act” to provide tax incentives for creating good-paying jobs here at home
• repugicans blocked legislation to make long-term investments in our nation’s aging highway system and opposed creating clean energy jobs of the future
• House Democrats will pass the “Build America Bonds Act” to boost job growth and modernize America’s infrastructure by building roads, bridges, broadband technology and investing in clean energy initiatives – paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes
• repugicans refused to raise the minimum wage but gave massive tax giveaways to corporate special interests and the ultra-wealthy
House Democrats will pass the “Fair Minimum Wage Act” and the “CEO/Employee Pay Fairness Act” to deny CEOs the ability to claim tax deductions for pay over $1 million unless they give their employees a raise

Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn (D-SC) drew attention to the fact that our children are on the table this election, saying, “People are scared for their children.” Clyburn touched on how his own deep red state of South Carolina refused to expand Medicaid, something that impacts children.

Clyburn called out the media for not covering the issues of the People, “The media will not be our friends,” he started, before Leader Pelosi cut him off to diplomatically point out that the media were on the call, “Let’s hope that they will, especially those on the call, and thank you for the focus on children.”

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) detailed what Pelosi called “woman-onomics” – which is basically a comprehensive economic program, including the Paycheck Fairness Act, “Healthy Families Act” to ensure paid sick leave for men and women, and increase access to affordable child care, and strengthen the “Violence Against Women Act” and will expand women’s access to comprehensive health care and family planning. DeLauro said these changes were “long overdue.”

The repugicans voted no on equal pay for women, voted against paid sick leave, voted to turn the Violence Against Women Act into a Pro-Violence Against Women Act, and voted to defund Planned Parenthood.

For education, Dems promise to pass:

• House Democrats will pass the “Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act” to help Americans refinance their college loans to new, lower rates, and will increase access to Pell Grants for higher education
• House Democrats will pass the “Strong Start for America’s Children Act” to increase access to effective early childhood learning

So much for the “both parties are the same” meme. Policy talks.

The repugicans have made it very easy for Democrats to use the repugican cabal’s record against them in the 2014 midterm elections.