Warren/Sanders supporters: How do you get your agenda enacted into law?

[President Johnson]

I have a sincere question for Warren and Sanders supporters: If your candidate is elected president, what do you expect him/her to get accomplished on a legislative base? Or how do they get stuff done? Let's take Medicare-for-all and abolishion of private insurance as a prime example. And my point is not whether I support or oppose it or think Joe Biden's plan is better. How do you guys, who know a bit about Washington, envision this item to get passed? Let's be honest: In a best case 2020 outcome, the Democrats retake the senate just barely 50-50 or 51-49. The current House might be longshot for such legislation already, but the senate? No way. Even without the filibuster and and the optimistic above outcome, it's very, very unlikely. Just remember how difficult Obamacare was, and Democrats had large majorities in congress in 2009. Bernie and Liz want reforms that go much deeper than that and would have a much smaller majority, if any, on Capitol Hill.

Now Bernie said he would campaign against these senators, but how will this work in red-leaning or red states? You really think Joe Manchin and others will be impressed whether Bernie does a rally in West Virginia, North Carolina or Arizona? The same with the Green New Deal, a billionaire tax or having all student loans forgiven/100% tuition free college. It's just not going to happen. Even if Joe Biden is elected, he needs a favorable senate and all his political skills to get a public option for Obamacare done.

The only things that have a shot in my honest opinion is infrastructure and some form of campaign finance reform. Maybe immigration. I think it will be a huge risk if Bernie and Liz make all these promises, get elected and can't deliver on them. And not because they didn't try or because they're as fraudulent as Trump was with his phony promises in 2016, but because political realities are different. They will get the blame if it comes to that.

[BP🌹]

I have no expectation that many of their policies would get enacted during their presidency, even with a trifecta. It's about expanding the conversation for the future, which they seem to have succeeded at.

[Sorenroy]

I think the first thing that needs to be done is to elect someone who, under the dream scenario, would enact a progressive legislation. I am well aware that Sanders or Warren would need a miracle to get their full agenda past, but I want to stick someone in that office that would pass what I want if given the chance.

There is some question over weather electing a progressive who has to compromise on their values to get stuff past is good for the long term movement, but I am of the opinion that getting someone into office with my views is better than preemptively compromising on a primary candidate.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

A lot of the agenda wouldn't pass, but the President can use the the bully pulpit to lead and push for the agenda they want. Of course compromises would have to be made, but we need someone who fights for us, rather than someone like the last Democrat who fought for TPP and Social Security cuts.

[Progressive Pessimist]

They won't. Then they will become disappointed, stop voting, and cause a 2010-2016 Republican rebound to happen again and take the country even further back.

Before you accuse me of being biased though (even though Warren is the candidate I am probably the most favorable towards, even if it is a fairly diluted kind of enthusiasm) this will happen with any Democrat who manages to get elected in 2020. It's still better than having Trump for another four years.

Our history is a doomed vicious cycle, and I accept that.

[Beet]

The thing is, Biden's more moderate proposal won't get enacted either. Nor will the bully pulpit do much. Such are the times we live in. The point of campaigning on bigger policies though is for the candidate to highlight their values and those of the Party. If candidates win running on strong anti corruption plank, or universal childcare, then gradually these ideas will become more mainstream. A lot of it is symbolic.

We get the first woman president with Warren. That's one thing you know you get with her without a single vote in Congress and can never be repealed. Much of the damage Trump has done is to the spiritual and fabric of this country. It is psychic and intangible. Only a representative of that half of humanity whose p**** Trump bragged of grabbing- one who advocates systemic change, not a return to Obama- can fully and completely purge this out. The first president representing half of humanity being someone who campaigns against corruption, for the poor and middle class, for democracy would be something.

There are many things you can do with the administrative state. Stephen Miller is a good example of this. Warren has staffed an entire agency the CFPB from the ground up and has more knowledge than anyone. She's worked with progressive policy orgs for years. Someone like Joe Biden who is not passionate about the issues, or Pete Buttigieg who doesn't know what he believes, would be a waste of the office. You want a progressive who gets into the weeds and knows how effective their underlings are doing (or not). Smart people tend to surround themselves with other smart people.

[Heebie Jeebie]

1.  Win the presidency. the House, and at least 52 Senate seats.
2.  Eliminate the filibuster.
3.  Statehood for DC and Puerto Rico/End partisan gerrymandering.
4.  Accept half measures and compromises, and play the long game.
Bonus:. Pack the Courts.

[Donerail]

1. Abolish the bourgeois organs of democracy
2. Convene the Congress of Soviets
3. Pass whatever you want

[HillGoose]

they can't

in the unfortunate event they get elected, Wall Street ca$$$h will ensure that the socialists are defeated and America remains free!

[GeneralMacArthur]

The same way they got the Green New Deal passed, and the same way Bernie Sanders has been getting his legislation passed these last 40 years.

They'll write legislation so bad even Democrats won't support it, then blame the Democratic Party for their failure and beg for money and attention online so they can primary those evil Democrats.

[Landslide Lyndon]

1.  Win the presidency. the House, and at least 52 Senate seats.
2.  Eliminate the filibuster.
3.  Statehood for DC and Puerto Rico/End partisan gerrymandering.
4.  Accept half measures and compromises, and play the long game.
Bonus:. Pack the Courts.

Sanders opposes eliminating the filibuster.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

We need to pass comprehensive immigration reform and raise the cap on SSA on the wealthy, pass universal background checks and pass campaign finance reform.  This will put Robert's on record to see if he will support the bold agenda.  

Medicare for all isnt necessary. Then, pass statehood for DC

Dont forget, another Robert's, on threat of Court packing flipped to the Liberal side, when FDR was threatening to pack the Crts, his name was Owen Robert's. Chief Justoce Robert's might flip due to the same side as liberals, he wants to protect the integrity of CRT and is close to Sotomayor and Kagen and Ginnsberg

[Heebie Jeebie]

1.  Win the presidency. the House, and at least 52 Senate seats.
2.  Eliminate the filibuster.
3.  Statehood for DC and Puerto Rico/End partisan gerrymandering.
4.  Accept half measures and compromises, and play the long game.
Bonus:. Pack the Courts.

Sanders opposes eliminating the filibuster.

More evidence he's not really serious about actually enacting his agenda.

[Mr. Smith]

This same question can go to you Biden supporters y'know. Not a single word difference.

The question is whether you support getting little done, "but hey, bipartisan!" or whether getting the foot in the door and moving the goalposts your way is how you want the failures to stand out.

[MT Treasurer]

1.  Win the presidency. the House, and at least 52 Senate seats.

Good luck with that one.

[Heebie Jeebie]

1.  Win the presidency. the House, and at least 52 Senate seats.

Good luck with that one.

No one said it'd be easy, but it's doable: CO, ME, AZ, NC, GA, and GA-special. But Democrats realkky do need to run the table to hope to get anything significant done. Against common wisdom, I think Warren is the candidate who maximizes Democrats' odds in those states.

[Orser67]

No one has mentioned the fact that Warren is talking about passing a public option first, so I'm reposting this from another thread:

Warren talking about a two-step process for passing Medicare for all:

Senator Elizabeth Warren vowed on Friday to pass major health care legislation in her first 100 days as president, unveiling a new, detailed plan to significantly expand public health insurance coverage as a first step, and promising to pass a “Medicare for all” system by the end of her third year in office that would cover all Americans.

Ms. Warren has not previously outlined a timeline for enacting Medicare for all. In essence, Friday’s plan is a detailed road map for eventually achieving that goal, which would create a single government-run health program and end private insurance coverage. Her proposal would move people into that system gradually — in a way she hopes would build public support for a full-fledged single-payer program — while temporarily preserving the employer-based insurance system that covers most working-age adults today.

[OneJ]

The thing is, Biden's more moderate proposal won't get enacted either.

This right here.

[Heebie Jeebie]

No one has mentioned the fact that Warren is talking about passing a public option first, so I'm reposting this from another thread:

Warren talking about a two-step process for passing Medicare for all:

Senator Elizabeth Warren vowed on Friday to pass major health care legislation in her first 100 days as president, unveiling a new, detailed plan to significantly expand public health insurance coverage as a first step, and promising to pass a “Medicare for all” system by the end of her third year in office that would cover all Americans.

Ms. Warren has not previously outlined a timeline for enacting Medicare for all. In essence, Friday’s plan is a detailed road map for eventually achieving that goal, which would create a single government-run health program and end private insurance coverage. Her proposal would move people into that system gradually — in a way she hopes would build public support for a full-fledged single-payer program — while temporarily preserving the employer-based insurance system that covers most working-age adults today.

Both good policy and good politics. It gives her a good response when Buttigieg goes into his Medicare for All who want it crap. "Sure, we start with that, but we need a plan for finishing the job after a couple of years."

[Burke Bro]

I don’t expect all their proposals to be enacted, but rather start discussion about them so that the country moves in a good direction. Winning back the senate would help; so would eliminating the filibuster (which is one of the reasons I support Warren over Sanders).

[Kleine Scheiße]

1.  Win the presidency. the House, and at least 52 Senate seats.
2.  Eliminate the filibuster.
3.  Statehood for DC and Puerto Rico/End partisan gerrymandering.
4.  Accept half measures and compromises, and play the long game.
Bonus:. Pack the Courts.

This is the correct answer, although I am hesitant re: ending the filibuster.

[Landslide Lyndon]

1.  Win the presidency. the House, and at least 52 Senate seats.
2.  Eliminate the filibuster.
3.  Statehood for DC and Puerto Rico/End partisan gerrymandering.
4.  Accept half measures and compromises, and play the long game.
Bonus:. Pack the Courts.

Sanders opposes eliminating the filibuster.

More evidence he's not really serious about actually enacting his agenda.

That has been obvious to anyone who doesn't grovel at the altar of Saint Bernie.

[GeneralMacArthur]

The thing is, Biden's more moderate proposal won't get enacted either.

This right here.

Biden's website actually lists a large number of things he can do with his existing executive authority to improve health care, without having to go to Congress.

https://joebiden.com/healthcare/

For example, here he is wanting to establish a board in HHS to control Medicare prices:

Limiting launch prices for drugs that face no competition and are being abusively priced by manufacturers. Through his work on the Cancer Moonshot, Biden understands that the future of pharmacological interventions is not traditional chemical drugs but specialized biotech drugs that will have little to no competition to keep prices in check. Without competition, we need a new approach for keeping the prices of these drugs down. For these cases where new specialty drugs without competition are being launched, under the Biden Plan the Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish an independent review board to assess their value. The board will recommend a reasonable price, based on the average price in other countries (a process called external reference pricing) or, if the drug is entering the U.S. market first, based on an evaluation by the independent board members. This reasonable price will be the rate Medicare and the public option will pay. In addition, the Biden Plan will allow private plans participating in the individual marketplace to access a similar rate.

[Progressive Pessimist]

The thing is, Biden's more moderate proposal won't get enacted either.

This right here.

Biden's website actually lists a large number of things he can do with his existing executive authority to improve health care, without having to go to Congress.

https://joebiden.com/healthcare/

For example, here he is wanting to establish a board in HHS to control Medicare prices:

Limiting launch prices for drugs that face no competition and are being abusively priced by manufacturers. Through his work on the Cancer Moonshot, Biden understands that the future of pharmacological interventions is not traditional chemical drugs but specialized biotech drugs that will have little to no competition to keep prices in check. Without competition, we need a new approach for keeping the prices of these drugs down. For these cases where new specialty drugs without competition are being launched, under the Biden Plan the Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish an independent review board to assess their value. The board will recommend a reasonable price, based on the average price in other countries (a process called external reference pricing) or, if the drug is entering the U.S. market first, based on an evaluation by the independent board members. This reasonable price will be the rate Medicare and the public option will pay. In addition, the Biden Plan will allow private plans participating in the individual marketplace to access a similar rate.

That's actually not a bad tactic for him to run with. However, it doesn't mean that he should neglect helping to get as many Democrats as possible elected to the Senate, if he's nominated, so that it can finally be taken back and he can pursue much bolder aspects of his agenda.

There is also the problem of this idea probably not being exciting enough for the base. If he wants to beat Trump, he absolutely has to gin up as much Democratic turnout as possible, and this may not be the policy goal that could do it. That isn't necessarily his fault, but it is the political reality we are living in.

[GeneralMacArthur]

The thing is, Biden's more moderate proposal won't get enacted either.

This right here.

Biden's website actually lists a large number of things he can do with his existing executive authority to improve health care, without having to go to Congress.

https://joebiden.com/healthcare/

For example, here he is wanting to establish a board in HHS to control Medicare prices:

Limiting launch prices for drugs that face no competition and are being abusively priced by manufacturers. Through his work on the Cancer Moonshot, Biden understands that the future of pharmacological interventions is not traditional chemical drugs but specialized biotech drugs that will have little to no competition to keep prices in check. Without competition, we need a new approach for keeping the prices of these drugs down. For these cases where new specialty drugs without competition are being launched, under the Biden Plan the Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish an independent review board to assess their value. The board will recommend a reasonable price, based on the average price in other countries (a process called external reference pricing) or, if the drug is entering the U.S. market first, based on an evaluation by the independent board members. This reasonable price will be the rate Medicare and the public option will pay. In addition, the Biden Plan will allow private plans participating in the individual marketplace to access a similar rate.

That's actually not a bad tactic for him to run with. However, it doesn't mean that he should neglect helping to get as many Democrats as possible elected to the Senate, if he's nominated, so that it can finally be taken back and he can pursue much bolder aspects of his agenda.

There is also the problem of this idea probably not being exciting enough for the base. If he wants to beat Trump, he absolutely has to gin up as much Democratic turnout as possible, and this may not be the policy goal that could do it. That isn't necessarily his fault, but it is the political reality we are living in.

I think the entire thrust of the Biden plan for the party is:

A)  Push uncontroversial legislation broadly supported by large swaths of the American public, and force the right wing to defend their most unpopular positions.  85% of Americans want a public option plan, for instance.  It's tough for the right to put back against that legislation in this climate, whereas single payer would be a f***ing dream come true.

B)  Do whatever else you can with the executive branch to push through progress and return to Obamerica.  Put experts in charge of departments, listen to the top economists, have a functional working relationship with big business and wall street, apologize and recommit to our friends and allies, regain the respect and moral standing we've lost in the world, and try to fix some of the loopholes Trump has exploited to cheat while in office.

C)  Foster an extremely close relationship with the DNC and party establishment to get the right candidates elected in the right districts and regain control of Congress at all costs.  No revolutionary agenda, no trying to transform the party or overthrow the establishment, just grit-and-grind politics.