Today’s Edition: Infrastructure Decade

August 11, 2021

          When the Senate finally passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill on Tuesday, Joe Biden predicted the beginning of an “infrastructure decade.” Let’s hope that Biden is right, even if his declaration is a wee bit premature. Nonetheless, we should grant him a few moments of satisfaction for accomplishing something that eluded the prior administration for four years. There is a long way to go to cross the finish line, but Democrats have signaled that they are serious about getting the job done. Democratic leadership in the House announced that it would interrupt its summer recess to begin working on the Senate reconciliation resolution. The Senate has already begun debate on the reconciliation resolution in a process known as the “Vote-a-rama.” The process is as silly as its name, allowing an unlimited fusillade of proposed amendments during a fifty-hour debate. See NYTimes, “Senate Begins Budget Political Theater With $3.5 Trillion at Stake.” The Vote-a-rama has devolved into a vehicle for the minority party to propose amendments with the expectation they will be voted down—and thereby provide fodder for campaign ads in the upcoming election cycle. Pathetic!

          The debate over the reconciliation bill is an opportunity for Democrats to persuade voters that the party has a vision for the future worth supporting. Republicans have retreated to their posture as ‘the party of “No!”’—a posture that has strong appeal to a limited and shrinking base. For example, Republicans have begun attacking “liberal proposals to rein in climate change, which they deride as part of the “Green New Deal.” Really? Does the GOP expect to win over Independents with that attack line after the release of the alarming IPCC Sixth Assessment Report? And do Republicans really believe that Trump’s populist base will be outraged over increasing taxes on corporations and billionaires? Perhaps the Trumpiest of Trump’s base will follow any illogical talking point, but persuadable Independents are likely to see the value of expanding Medicare, improving school ventilation systems for Covid prevention, making community college available to everyone free of charge, expanding childcare assistance for working parents, increasing investments in renewable energy—and more.

         And, finally, the Senate is reportedly working on a watered-down version of a voting rights bill that will get the “Joe Manchin Seal of Approval.” See Georgia Public Broadcasting, Klobuchar: Senate Dems 'Very Close' To A Deal On Revised Voting Rights Bill.”  The bill will reportedly contain provisions to end gerrymandering and limit dark money—in exchange for a national voter I.D. requirement. The only way that would pass is if Manchin and Sinema agree to circumvent the filibuster on voting rights bills—a dubious proposition. But Democrats are still talking as of Tuesday evening. Unless they have a wink-and-a-nod deal on the filibuster, it is unclear why they would be going through the motions of negotiating the terms of a minimalist bill.

          Taken together, these developments are positive and hopeful. As some readers have let me know, they are disappointed in Biden’s failure to deliver on 100% of his campaign promises. (It is also true that some actions at the agency level have been disappointing. E.g., the Biden administration is granting drilling permits on federal lands at a faster pace than did the prior administration). Overall, however, Biden has accomplished a lot with the weak hand dealt to him in 2020. Imagine what he could do if he had a five-vote majority in the Senate and a twenty-vote majority in the House? All the more reason to achieve limited victories now in order to prove to Americans that the Democratic Party is concerned about their well-being in a way the Republican Party is not. That’s a good message, which has the virtue of being true.

Governor Cuomo announces intention to resign.

          Governor Cuomo has announced he will resign in two weeks in the face of the report by the state’s Attorney General outlining claims of sexual harassment by the Governor. My statement a week ago that Cuomo should resign because “it is the right thing to do” generated heated and voluminous responses. Some readers criticized my statement as being motivated by “political correctness.” Many readers said they did not believe the allegations were serious enough to warrant resignation. A surprising number of readers said, “I endured worse sexual harassment in the workplace and overcame it, so Cuomo shouldn’t be forced to resign.”

          Several readers said they worked in state and city government positions where they had personal contact with Cuomo. Those readers said that Cuomo’s behavior towards everyone was more abusive than that described in the Attorney General’s report. If true, the sexual harassment allegations are only one manifestation of an equal opportunity abusive personality. In the end, Governor Cuomo had no allies or friends to support him. The few voices speaking in defense of Cuomo after his resignation claim that he is a victim of “cancel culture”—a charge that shifts the blame to those who suffered under Cuomo and seeks to excuse him from accountability for patterns of behavior that lasted decades. I don’t get it. Cuomo had fair warning that his behavior was wrong but continued to engage in it—precisely because he thought he would get away with it. If holding him accountable is cancel culture, so be it.

          Finally, many readers lamented that Republican officials are accused of far worse behavior but do not resign voluntarily. That double standard is unfair, but in no way gives Cuomo (or Democrats) a free pass to look the other way. Cuomo did the right thing by resigning. The remarkable fact is not that he did so, but that it took so long for him to be held accountable for his conduct.

Judge Beryl Howell continues criticism of lenient charges against Capitol insurrectionists.

          Federal Jude Beryl Howell continued her criticism of the lenient charges filed by federal prosecutors in the District to Columbia against Capitol insurrectionists. See Politico, “Judge suggests feds are too lenient toward Jan. 6 defendants.” Judge Howell criticized the misdemeanor charge of “parading or picketing on Capitol grounds” and the paltry $500 in restitution for damage caused to the Capitol. The latter amount was calculated based on assumed damage of $1.5 million to the Capitol. As Judge Howell noted, Congress agreed to reimburse the National Guard $521 million for costs incurred in quelling the insurrection and protecting the Capitol.

Judge Howell was particularly unhappy over the fact that the defendant was not required to admit that he entered the Capitol to interfere with the Electoral count. The prosecutor said that the government had insufficient evidence of the defendant’s intent; Judge Howell replied that his intent could be inferred from his illegal entry into the Capitol with a mob chanting, “Stop the steal.”

          The U.S. Attorney in D.C. and Attorney General Merrick Garland have failed the American people. They are barely going through the motions of holding insurrectionists accountable. Their complacency and double standard in handling white supremacists are galling. In June, Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty legally entered a building in the Capitol complex to protest the Senate’s refusal to allow debate on the “For the People Act.” She stood peacefully with five other Black women singing, “Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on . . . keep on marching . . . we shall not be moved.” See video at 2:21. For that, they were arrested for “demonstrating on Capitol grounds”—the same charge levied against the insurrectionists who violently assaulted the Capitol to stop a constitutional duty of Congress.  

          Joe Biden needs to replace Merrick Garland with someone who understands the seriousness of the assault on January 6th. If it happens again, the next wave of insurrectionists will be telling one another as they breach the Capitol doors, “Don’t worry, it’s only a misdemeanor . . . .less serious than an arrest for drunk driving!”

More on climate activism.

          In response to yesterday’s newsletter, many readers asked for additional suggestions for involvement. Several readers wrote in to recommend joining your local Sierra Club chapter. As one reader said,

          In the Sierra Club we actually endorse candidates for office, work to get them elected, and then lobby them for priority policies and legislation options.  We “dig in” locally through our county boards and at the state level.

The Sierra Club model has it exactly right. It emphasizes activism from the ground up—local to state to federal. It leverages the collective strength of its members in elections and in the halls of Congress. Navigate to the bottom of this page (Take Action – Sierra Club) to find activities and chapters near you. While you are on that page, check out the surprisingly wide range of issues that are being addressed by the Sierra Club, including infrastructure and renewable energy, voting rights, and the environmental impact of the “border wall.”

          Another long-time reader suggested 350.org, which is focused on building a grassroots movement to take on the fossil fuels industries. Per the reader,

          The name 350.org refers to the parts per million of carbon we would have in the atmosphere if the planet were healthy. Today, we are at roughly 416 ppm, and rising steadily. 350.org is laser focused on fighting climate change. Its mission, simply stated, is to return the planet to 350 ppm of carbon in the atmosphere.

          Like every organization website, you will be encouraged donate to the Sierra Club and 350.org. Don’t be put off. Money matters to their missions. But more importantly, organizations like the Sierra Club and 350.org need your personal involvement. As I wrote yesterday, every Democrat must add “climate activist” to their portfolio of causes. I know that will be hard, but it will be harder to endure a world in which runaway warming takes decades or centuries to tame.

Concluding Thoughts.

          In these challenging times, heroes abound. We need to take the time to recognize their contributions and support them for doing the right thing. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman has published a book detailing how he sacrificed his stellar military career to alert the intelligence community to Trump’s effort to extort Ukraine by withhold U.S. military aid. One reader sent a note saying that he was going to show his support for Colonel Vindman by purchasing his book, “Here, Right Matters: An American Story.”

          Several readers sent notes praising local school officials who said they were willing to forgo their salaries in order to maintain mask mandates for school children in Florida. Per USA Today, “Leon County Superintendent Hanna told school officials at a meeting Monday afternoon ‘You can't put a price tag on someone's life, including my salary.’”

          And finally, Texas Republicans have issued arrest warrants for Texas Democrats who have fled the state to prevent the Texas assembly from achieving a quorum—thereby blocking the most draconian voter suppression legislation in the nation. See NYTimes, “Texas Republicans Vote to Arrest Absentee Democrats.” As one reader noted, it would be an honor to be arrested in defense of such a noble effort.

          You can be a hero, too. And you don’t need to lose your career or salary, nor do you need to face arrest. When we look back on this fraught period, all of us will be held to account for our actions—even if only to ourselves. Step outside your comfort zone (again) to ensure that we hold the ramparts in 2022 and extend our gains in 2024. If we all work together, we can do that.

          Talk to you tomorrow!