FORCE MULTIPLIER TALKING POINTS
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Let’s talk about the ECONOMY
“...it is remarkable that America has so far avoided a hard landing.
The economy is winding its way down a treacherous road from the highest peak of inflation
in 40 years. Defying conventional wisdom, it has managed to add millions of jobs....
a soft landing, once a faint hope, is now among the plausible alternatives.”
The Economist, 7/22/23
ECONOMY Key Stats
• GDP growth: 3x Trump, 7x as many Biden jobs as last 3 GOP Presidents combined
• best COVID recovery in G7
• inflation now down to pre-pandemic levels
• lowest unemployment rate in 54 years
• lowest poverty/uninsured rates ever
• elevated wage gains/new business starts
• 2 job openings per unemployed person, a record
• real earnings up in 2022, trade deficit down
• historic investments in our future prosperity in infrastructure, CHIPS, climate, health care
Simon Rosenberg, Hopium Chronicles, 7/20/23
The annual inflation rate in the U.S. for the 12 months ending July 2023 was 3.2% compared to 6.5% in July ‘22 and 7% in July ‘21. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Through the first half of 2023, the U.S. economy added 1.67 million jobs -the 12th largest January-June performance ever. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Unemployment decreased to 3.5 % in July from 3.6% in June – lowest since the late 1960s.
Seventeen states are experiencing all-time low rates. This includes red states...South Dakota, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Montana and Florida. Axios, 7/24/23
Congressional Democrats took the lead in the battle to lift the debt ceiling which passed with more Democratic than Republican votes and will cut government spending by $2.1 trillion. Politico, 7/31/23
Lots to say about HEALTH CARE
“...despite higher healthcare spending, America’s health outcomes are not any better than
those in other developed countries. The U.S. actually performs worse in some common metrics
like life expectancy, infant mortality, and unmanaged diabetes.”
Peterson Foundation, “How does the US Healthcare system compare to other countries,” 7/23
• “...the portion of Americans uninsured hit a record low of 8% in the first quarter of 2022 ..”
• The Inflation Reduction Act gives Medicare the power to negotiate the price of certain medicines and is “expected to lower seniors’ out-of-pocket costs ...while saving the government nearly $100 billion through 2031.“ Bloomberg and The National Health Survey, 2022
Democrats are “united behind the principle of universal access to high quality and affordable healthcare for all...” Hakeem Jeffries (NY, House Minority Leader):
Examples of Democratic Legislative Proposals (118th Congress, 2023-2024)
• H.R. 1692 Health Care Affordability Act of 2023: extends tax credits for low income taxpayers reducing the cost of health care premiums
• Medicare for All Act of 2023 – sponsored by more than half the Democratic Caucus and 13 committee ranking members
• House Democratic leaders are trying to force a vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act protecting abortion access up to the point of fetal viability
• In July 2023, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA) and other House Democrats introduced the Abortion Justice Act which would require insurance coverage of abortions, improve immigrant families’ access to the procedure, and address systemic racial disparities in reproductive health.
• In July Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) introduced major legislation designed to overhaul the primary care health care system with a focus on increasing the health care workforce and making sure everyone has access to the system.
CLIMATE CHANGE brought into focus
“The past eight years have been the warmest on record globally.”
World Meteorological Organization, 1/12/23
The President’s big climate agenda has made America a world leader in the existential fight to control the Earth’s warming, and his broader investment agenda is already bringing growth, investment and jobs across the US. S. Rosenberg, Hopium Chronicles, 7/19/23
Selected Impacts
• 170,000 clean energy jobs have been created; 1.5 million new jobs are projected for the next decade
• Companies have announced $110 billion in clean manufacturing investments in the last year including $70 billion in the EV supply chain and $10 billion in solar
• Public and private investments stimulated by the IRA and the Bi-partisan Infrastructure Law are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately a billion tons in 2030.
• The US Dept of Energy projects that 80% of electricity in 2030 will come from clean energy sources.
• Electric vehicle sales have tripled since President Biden took office.
• U.S. electricity from wind is expected to triple and solar generation to increase seven-to-eight fold by 2030.
WH.GOV, 8/16/23)-Climate Agenda Progress: First Anniversary of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
“We have completely changed direction on our energy policy such that we actually have a chance to meet our climate goals, which was certainly not the case just a couple of years ago.”
Sonia Aggarwal CEO, environmental policy firm Energy Innovation; NPR interview, (8/16/23).
“Across the country, a profound shift is taking place that is nearly invisible to most Americans. The nation that burned coal, oil and gas for more than a century to become the richest economy on the planet, as well as historically the most polluting, is rapidly shifting away from fossil fuels....”
The Clean Energy Future is Arriving Faster Than You Think” (New York Times (8/17/23)
President Biden, working with Democrats in Congress, signed a trio of laws during his first two years in office that allocated unprecedented funds for clean energy:
• A $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law provided funds to enhance the power grid, buy electric school buses, and build a national network of electric vehicle chargers.
• The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act set aside billions of dollars for semiconductors vital to automobile manufacturing.
• The Inflation Reduction Act, now one-year old, is by far the most ambitious attempt to fight climate change in American history. “ [no attribution here]
Senate Democrats have proposed the Environmental Justice for All Act of 2023 addressing the disproportionate harmful effects of pollution on Black, Brown and Indigenous communities to ensure that they can fight back against polluters.
Discuss the facts about GUNS
“Guns killed a record number of U.S. children in 2021”
Washington Post, 8/23/23
In 2022, the bipartisan Safer Communities Act signed into law by President Biden, is one of the most significant steps Congress has taken to reduce gun violence in decades, providing new tools to prosecute gun traffickers. (This Democratic-initiated legislation was supported by just five Senate Republicans and 14 House Republicans.)
The Biden Administration’s 21 Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence” includes:
• keeping dangerous weapons and shooters off the streets
• keeping guns out of the wrong hands [what wrong hands? Specifically please]
• making progress to reduce community violence
• providing law enforcement with tools needed to reduce gun violence
• addressing the root causes of gun violence
The White House, 7/11/22
An Executive Order issued which strengthened: the use of “red flag” laws; holding gun industry accountable; and law enforcement efforts to identify and apprehend shooters
The White House, 3/14/23
”Democrats believe that we can reduce gun violence while respecting the rights of gun owners.... we believe we should treat gun violence as the deadly public health crisis it is.” Democratic National Committee-Party Platform
S. 2, the Assault Weapon Ban of 2023 was introduced in Jan. 2023. It has yet to pass in the Senate.
In 2023, House Democrats have attempted to force House votes on three Democratic proposals: Assault weapons Ban, Bipartisan Background Check Act, and Enhanced Background Check Act. Republicans have thus far resisted these initiatives
Pushing hard for CIVIL RIGHTS
“There are some areas where we have made great progress ...But, in many other areas,
America is in great trouble. Great inequality and discrimination still exist in our school systems,
our criminal justice system and other aspects of our lives...”
A. Jenkins, Co-Founder, The American Opportunity Project, PBS.org. Civil Rights Today.
• On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government launching a “whole of government approach to equity.”
• On his first day in office, President Biden rescinded the Muslim Ban established by his predecessor.
• On 6/21/23 Democrats in the House and Senate introduced the Equality Act. If passed, the Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, economic status, sex, and national origin, to further prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
• In June 2023, Democrats in the House and Senate proposed The Economic Inclusion Act of 2023.
If passed, the Act would restore aspects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which have eroded due to court decisions and actions of Republicans like expanding the meaning of “public accommodations” in discrimination cases and easing the burden of proof for plaintiffs in discrimination lawsuits.
• H.R. 11, Freedom to Vote Act and S. 1, both in current 118th Congress
This proposed legislation, if passed, will ensure access to the ballot box, fix partisan gerrymandering, and address the corrupting influence of big money in politics.
Good news on POLITICAL TRENDS
“We keep over performing beyond expectations and norms-in such disparate places
as Alaska, Florida, Kansas and Ohio. New geographic and demographic real estate is available
to pro-democracy forces and Democrats now. May we have the foresight and determination
to take advantage of this historic opportunity.”
S. Rosenberg, Hopium Chronicles, 8/10/23
Importance of Small Donors
“A solid base of small donors fueled fundraising in the second quarter of 2023. More than 1.6 million unique donors gave seven million contributions to 13,392 campaigns. A strong base of donors is funding the work of the campaigns, causes, and issues that rely on small-dollar donations.” ActBlue Blog, 7/24/23
Recent Good News Outcomes for Democrats
• Wisconsin: Liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz won a seat on the state Supreme Court flipping the body’s ideological majority. That outcome could impact abortion cases and have implications for state redistricting in this critical battleground state. Politico 8/9/23
• Montana: State Court ruled in favor of young people who alleged the state violated their rights to a “clean and healthful environment “ by promoting the use of fossil fuels. The ruling is one of the strongest decisions ever addressing climate change in this coal producing state. Washington Post.com 8/14/23
• Ohio: In a special election in early August, 57% of voters defeated a Republican - sponsored referendum which would have made it difficult to place an abortion rights amendment on the November ‘23 ballot. Columbus Dispatch, 8/8/23.
Redistricting Momentum - Cautious Optimism for Democrats
• Some 45 cases across 27 states challenge congressional and legislative maps as discriminatory and/or the result of partisan gerrymandering. Final maps will impact most, if not all, 2024 races.
• While appeals and remapping continue in many cases (e.g., North Carolina), litigation to date has resulted in redrawn maps in Alaska, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina. Critical states like Georgia and Pennsylvania remain unresolved.
“Redistricting Litigation Roundup,” Brennan Center for Justice, updated 7/7/23.
Again, while litigation continues, Congressional maps are being redrawn in Alabama and Louisiana following federal court determination of violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Big Political Picture This Election Cycle:
• Joe Biden is an effective president whose actions improve the lives of most Americans.
• The country is better off
• The Democratic Party is strong
• And they have Trump
S. Rosenberg, Hopium Chronicles, 8/23