By The FirstRep. Pramila Jayapal -the head of the Democrats’ progressive caucus- penned an op-ed Sunday urging President Biden to enact elements of his failed ‘Build Back Better’ package through “Executive Actions.”
“On Dec. 20, Sen. Manchin went back on his commitment to the president and seemingly killed the bill on national television. In a town where your word is everything, this was a stunning rebuke of his own party’s president,” writes Jayapal.
“Despite that, we must move forward. The president’s agenda is even more urgent today. The omicron variant is surging as covid-19 has once again disrupted people’s ability to work, care for children and elders, access medical care and make ends meet. We simply cannot abandon our vision,” she claims.
“The Progressive Caucus will continue to work toward legislation for Build Back Better, focused on keeping it as close to the agreed-upon framework as possible. At the same time, we are calling on the president to use executive action to immediately improve people’s lives.
“The Progressive Caucus has always believed in leaving no one behind. We call on our governing partners to join us in advancing that philosophy, guided by racial, gender and economic justice — not corporations’ bottom lines. This moment for the Biden administration and Congress can either lead to our greatest failure or our greatest success. If we use every tool at our disposal to redouble our efforts to deliver for our communities, with the most urgent needs of the American people as our guide, success is possible,” concludes the Congresswoman.
Read the full op-ed here.
