Democrats care about human rights and fair treatment for everyone. Democrats support a democratic multi-racial society. Democrats value Justice. Equity, Fairness.
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER!
The Democratic Party platform emphasizes social equality and equal opportunity. Supports voting rights, minority rights, and LGBTQ rights.
"Democrats are the party of inclusion. We know that diversity is not our problem--it is our promise. As Democrats we respect differences of perspective and belief, and pledge to work together to move this country forward, even when we disagree..."
"Win-Win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. We both get to eat the pie, and it tastes pretty darn good!"
MAGA Republicans are isolationists.
Republicans demand in-group loyalty and respect for social hierarchy. Republicans value Loyalty. Authority. Sanctity.
YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN!
The Republican Party offers no platform, except to confirm they stand by Trump's America First policy
HOW ‘AMERICA FIRST’ BECAME AMERICA ALONE
The Atlantic, October 29, 2020
In 2023, right-wing conservative think tanks led by The Heritage Foundation published Project 2025, their plan to "Institutionalize Trumpism" which aims to "rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left" by replacing career civil servants with loyalists to any Republican president.
Win-Lose is an attitude toward life that says the pie of success is only so big, and if you get a big piece there is less for me. So I'm going to make sure I get my slice first or that I get a bigger piece than you. Win-Lose turns everything into a competition.
Freedom to vote, Freedom to choose, Freedom of expression, Freedom to worship, Freedom from want, Freedom from fear
"It’s clear that at every level of government, Democrats are the true defenders of Americans’ fundamental freedoms, while Republicans are working to take them away."
Freedom is On the Ballot in 2024,
New Democrat Coalition, January 18, 2024
Democrats want federal voting rights bill ahead of 2024 elections USA Today, September 20, 2023
Voting Rights Are Expanding in Blue States, Contracting in Red, The Brennan Center, March 1, 2023
Democrats’ ‘Do No Harm Act’ addresses increasing use of religious freedom law to undermine civil rights protections Rep. Jamie Raskin, press release, April 19, 2023
Sen. Ed Markey press release, June 14, 2023
Lawmakers in blue states are linking protections for abortion and gender-affirming care
The 19th News Network, June 9, 2023
Jeffries vows to expand child tax credit even further under a Democratic majority, The Hill, February 1, 2024
Freedom to spread disease, Freedom to carry assault rifles, Freedom to incite violence, Freedom to ban books, Freedom to break laws (especially if you are the president).
"Since 2021, Republican-controlled states have passed a swarm of laws to restrict voting rights, increase penalties for public protest, impose new restrictions on transgender youth, ban books, and limit what teachers, college professors, and employers can say about race, gender, and sexual orientation. Some states are even exploring options to potentially prosecute people who help women travel out of state to obtain an abortion." Red States Are Rolling Back the Rights Revolution. The Supreme Court could send the U.S. back to the 1950s. The Atlantic, September 10, 2023
In 6-to-3 Ruling, Supreme Court Ends Nearly 50 Years of Abortion Rights, NYTimes, June 24, 2022
The Glaring Contradiction of Republicans’ Rhetoric of Freedom, The Atlantic, July 8, 2022
Florida’s New ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Rule Bans Discussion of Gender for All Students, Time Magazine, April 20, 2023
3 in 10 Trump voters want a president willing to break ‘rules and laws’ Washington Post, December 18, 2023
117th Congress, run by Democrats under Biden, enacted 362 public laws, including several historic bills
116th Congress, run by Democrats under Trump, enacted 344 public laws
The current 118th Congress, run by Republicans, is the least productive Congress since 1931-32
"Despite holding more than 700 votes this year, the House only managed to pass 27 bills that have made it into law, thanks to...a right wing bent on constraining government." The 27 Bills That Became Law in 2023,
NY Times, December 19, 2023
Hoping to govern in 2024, House Republicans fear a repeat of last year, WA Post, Jan 8, 2024
GOP lawmakers won't govern while Trump runs for president. They're just following orders.
USA Today, February 12, 2024
"PODA [Protect Our Democracy Act] is based on 3 principles: stopping the abuse of the president's pardon powers, restoring the system of checks and balances, accountability and transparency and protecting U.S. elections from foreign interference." Schiff, Dems reintroduce bill aimed at curbing abuse of presidential power
"...[Republican Congressmen] Jim Jordan, Scott Perry, and Andy Biggs, all defied legitimate Congressional subpoenas related to their involvement in or knowledge of a violent attack on the United States Capitol meant to overturn the results of a free and fair election. When called before Congress to provide testimony on a defining moment in American history, they ran and hid. But today, they are going to vote to hold in contempt a private citizen [Hunter Biden] who has offered to provide voluntary, public testimony before the Committee," writes Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
Democrats support moving toward a universal healthcare single-payer program like Medicare for All.
Believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege
Believe every women should be able to access high quality reproductive services, including safe and legal abortion
Democrats and abortion rights advocates prevail in key elections, CBS News, November 8, 2023
Abortion Rights Fuel Big Democratic Wins, NYTimes, November 8, 2023
Democrats condemn ‘cruel’ abortion bans ahead of 51st anniversary of Roe The Guardian, January 17, 2024
“Democrats fought hard to lower the cost of insulin in the Inflation Reduction Act. Though Senate Republicans blocked us from cutting insulin costs for millions of Americans who need it, we still delivered relief for many. The Inflation Reduction Act is not the end of the conversation, but the beginning. Democrats are going to keep fighting to lower everyday costs for Americans and ensure that families don’t have to choose between their health and their bank account,” Senator Bob Casey. Press Release, March 1, 2023
"...a record-breaking 20 million Americans have enrolled in health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces." White House, January 10, 2024
Republicans vote against expanding Medicaid.
Want to repeal Affordable Care Act, without offering any viable alternatives to the ACA
White House, February 28, 2023
Many support a federal abortion ban, but some are backing away because it could hurt their re-election campaigns. NYTimes, January 12, 2024
Republicans block cap on insulin costs for millions of patients Washington Post, August 7, 2022
"More than a half million of the poorest Americans could be left without health insurance under legislation passed by House Republicans that would require people to work in exchange for health care coverage through Medicaid." The GOP wants to implement Medicaid work requirements. PBS, April 30, 2023
“...It’s imperative that Congress remain united in condemning all forms of political violence in this country – regardless of who is behind it. Anything less will only embolden those who are spreading the hate-filled rhetoric that’s tearing this country apart.” Democrats introduce resolution condemning all acts of political violence in U.S., U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette Press Release, January 11, 2023
With no Republican condemnation of violence against abortion facilities, House Democrats respond,
Colorado Newsline, January 12, 2023
Eric Swalwell comments on a report that Trump advisor Roger Stone was caught on tape calling for Swalwell's assassination, "We are a country where we settle our scores at the ballot box, not through violence. And when you use violence or threaten violence, you're going to pay the price for that." On CNN with Anderson Cooper, January 17, 2024
Durbin Condemns Political Violence as Poll Workers, Government Officials Face Increased Threats Ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, January 16, 2024
"The Paul Pelosi attack was no aberration. Only one party counts violent insurrectionists as a constituency it dare not alienate." “We” Don’t Have a Political Violence Problem. Republicans Do. The New Republic, November 1, 2022
Georgia Election Official Condemns Threats Of Violence, Slams Trump, GOP for Not Speaking Out, YouTube,
The Republican Party’s Culture of Violence,
The Atlantic, October 23, 2023
"Violent attitudes aren’t violent actions. Despite some parallels in violent partisan attitudes, right-wing violence is predominant, and, likewise, the rising flood of recent threats against local and national officials has come mainly from the right. One reason may be that Republican leaders rarely condemn their colleagues for using violent rhetoric — or, for that matter, the threatening and violent acts of their followers." Why it might help that some Republicans deny political violence is ‘legitimate’, Washington Post, February 15, 2022
"As the Biden administration reiterates calls for tougher gun measures in response to the mass shooting in Maine last week, House Republicans updated a fiscal 2024 spending bill with provisions that take the opposite track." Republican spending bill would block gun background check rule, Roll Call, Nov 1, 2023 by Ryan Tarinelli and Michael Macagnone
“With 33,000 Americans dying every year, Democrats believe that we must finally take sensible action to address gun violence.” Democratic Party Platform
"Congress gave final approval on Friday to a bipartisan compromise intended to stop dangerous people from accessing firearms, ending nearly three decades of congressional inaction over how to counter gun violence and toughen the nation’s gun laws." Congress Passes Bipartisan Gun Legislation, Clearing It for Biden, NYTimes, June 24, 2022 by Emily Cochrane (Note: The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, introduced by Democrats, passed in the Senate by all 50 Democrats and 15 Republicans, passed in the House by all 220 Democrats and 14 Republicans. The vast majority of Republican Members of Congress voted against the bill.)
"Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked efforts by Senate Democrats to pass an assault weapons ban and universal background checks legislation after the United States over the weekend broke the record for the most mass shootings in a single year." Senate Republicans block assault weapons ban, background checks bill, The Hill, December 6, 2023 by Alexander Bolton
"The calculation behind Republicans’ steadfast opposition to any new gun regulations — even in the face of the kind of unthinkable massacre that occurred Tuesday at an elementary school in Texas — is a fairly simple one for Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota.
Asked Wednesday what the reaction would be from voters back home if he were to support any significant form of gun control, the first-term Republican had a straightforward answer: “Most would probably throw me out of office,” he said." Why Republicans Won’t Budge on Guns, NYTimes, May 26, 2022 by Carl Hulce
Why so many guns on Christmas cards? , Washington Post, December 14, 2021 by Peter Manseau
CHIPS and Science Act Wikipedia
CHIPS and Science Act programs are writing a new story about the Rust Belt Brookings, February 7, 2024
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Wikipedia
The US Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Breaking it down McKinsey, November 12, 2021
At its two-year anniversary, the bipartisan infrastructure law continues to rebuild all of America
Brookings, November 17, 2023
"Biden/Harris Investing in America agenda is rebuilding our roads and bridges using Made in America materials, built by American workers. And it’s transforming our country for the better – reaching communities in every corner of the United States, including those that have too often been left behind. This website provides an interactive map that illustrates the impact of these record-breaking levels of public and private investment across states and territories under the Biden/Harris Administration.
"Several Republicans who voted against the CHIPS and Science Act are taking credit for the bill's support for tech hubs, many of which are devoted to energy and environmental issues. The law was one of the major accomplishments of President Joe Biden's first two years. And as they did with the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, GOP lawmakers who opposed the legislation are now cheering its benefits."
Republicans cheer spending from bill they opposed — again, Politico, November 28, 2023, by Emma Dumain
They opposed the infrastructure law. Now, some in the GOP court its cash. Washington Post, July 9, 2023 by Tony Romm
“New Democrats support an alternative approach that provides critical investments in border security with additional pathways for legal migration, so that people can come to the United States to work, unite with their families, and seek humanitarian relief through a safe, orderly, humane process. … An orderly, humane migration process and a secure border can—and should—go hand-in-hand. We believe the majority of lawmakers in Congress want a border that is secure, an immigration system that works, and a country that proudly stands as a beacon of hope and safety to the rest of the world. We are ready to work with you to build a system that achieves those goals.”
May 13, 2024
Bipartisan group of senators working through weekend to forge border security deal: "We have to act now" CBS News, November 10, 2023 by Camilo Montoya-Galvez
In October 2023, the White House requested nearly $14 billion for U.S. border security
This request has been blocked by Republicans in the Senate.
What Republicans and Democrats want to do on US-Mexico border security, Reuters, January 8, 2024 by Ted Hesson
Democrats want to pass an immigration bill that many mayors across the country including John Giles, the Republican Mayor of Mesa AZ support. Giles says most people coming across are asylum seekers and this bill will "expedite those claims rather than catch and release, where people come into the United States and wait sometimes years for a determination on their asylum claims. That will all take place now in a matter of days. So it's a lot more efficient, a lot more humane and targets, really, these loopholes that criminals are using to take advantage of these people."
NPR, February 7, 2024
"For months, [Senator] Lankford, a staunch conservative, labored over the package alongside Senators Christopher S. Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, and Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent, demanding strict immigration policies his party insisted must be a part of any bill to send a fresh infusion of aid to Ukraine. But when Mr. Lankford managed to extract them, he found his fellow Republicans unwilling to embrace the plan, in a vivid illustration of how the political ground for any compromise on immigration has vanished for a party that has decided the issue is too valuable as a political weapon to resolve."
As G.O.P. Demolishes Border Deal, One of Its Own Stands in the Wreckage NYTimes, February 7, 2024
Washington Post, February 10, 2024
"On a House GOP conference call Sunday night, [Speaker Mike] Johnson said Congress can’t solve the crisis at the border until Donald Trump or another Republican is in the White House." On a border deal, it’s Johnson vs. McConnell, Punchbowl News, January 15, 2024
"Over the past decade, Republican leaders in Congress have failed to come to the table to negotiate on immigration policies that Americans support, and yet they have created the false perception that Trump-era policies can solve the border crisis. Mr. Trump’s record on immigration shows it’s just not that simple." This Border Deal Is a Political Trap for Democrats, NYTimes, January 15, 2024
Republicans have proposed a harsh border bill that would
What Republicans and Democrats want to do on US-Mexico border security, Reuters, January 8, 2024 by Ted Hesson
"Spend defense budget wisely and strategically to protect Americans and our democractic allies worldwide."
"Use force only when necessary as a last resort. "
"Democrats believe that foreign assistance and development programs are powerful tools for promoting American, and global, security and prosperity. "
"Democrats believe that diplomacy should be our tool of first resort....Democrats will support and invest in long overdue reforms to make the State Department more strategic, modern, agile, and effective. "
"The party of Ronald Reagan who helped break up the Soviet Union is now trying to help Vladimir Putin recreate it." Rep. Jake Auchincloss [(D) MA] continues, "For less money than Americans spend on soft drinks every year, we have cratered Russia's conventional military capacity, we have doubled its border with NATO, we have induced more defense spending from our allies in Europe and East Asia, and we have sent a strong message to the Kremlin and to Bejing that the United States is going to stand with freedom and democracy the world over... We're not sending that much money to Ukraine, we're sending money to American industry that is producing American materiel that we are then sending to Ukraine. This is a twofer. Not only are we helping an ally fight on the front lines of the free world for our values, we are boosting the U.S. Military Industrial Complex and creating jobs...And we are shifting in our military readiness from a precision guided missile regime towards more of an AI-plus autonomous regime. We need this opportunity to learn how drone swarms are going to operate on battlefields, and Ukraine is a living laboratory to do that in." The Next Level Podcast, January 25, 2024
The G.O.P. Bumper Sticker: Trump First. Putin Second. America Third. NYTimes, February 6, 2024
"The far-right populism of Hungary’s prime minister is helping to inspire U.S. Republicans' agenda for 2024, a game plan that targets immigration, LGBTQ rights and — at least for some — the war in Ukraine." The GOP-Hungary connection shaping the '24 campaign Axios, May 8, 2023
Republicans to meet allies of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán on ending Ukraine aid The Guardian, November 13, 2023
Republican Debaters Want to Go to War With Everyone (Except Trump) NY Magazine, November 9, 2023
"The leading figures in the GOP have moved firmly and fully past a commitment to cooperation at home with Democrats or abroad with allies and antagonists.
"One set of presidential aspirants argue for a starkly militarist, unilateral form of engagement with the world. The other set sees the United States as needing to retreat, at a minimum to deal with China and at a maximum to turn the country into a fortress. Notably, all of them adopted belligerent rhetoric with calls sprinkled in to “finish the job” against Hamas, “take out” the Mexican cartels and “cut off the head of the snake” (Iran). It’s an approach that also reflects the sentiment of GOP voters. A recent CBS/YouGov poll showed that most Republicans believe it’s more important for the United States to be feared than loved." The Debate Reveals a Brutal Reality About Republican Foreign Policy. Politico, November 9, 2023
Opinion columnist Greg Grandlin writes, "Republican calls to go hard against narcotics below the border can’t but rebound above it, leading back to a callous public policy that treats addicts as enemies. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said of another war, the bombs we drop there explode here."
The Republicans Who Want to Invade Mexico. NYTimes, November 1, 2023 (Opinion)
"As Democrats, we believe that education is a critical public good—not a commodity—and that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that every child, everywhere, is able to receive a world-class education that enables them to lead meaningful lives, no matter their race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability status, language status, immigration or citizenship status, household income or ZIP code."
Democratic Party Platform
Democratic lawmakers introduce bill aiming to push back on book bans
“Let’s be clear, efforts to ban books are wrong, whether they come from the right or the left,” said Dick Durbin, the judiciary committee chair and Democratic senator of Illinois. “In the name of protecting students, we’re instead denying these students an opportunity to learn about different people and difficult subjects.” ‘Authoritarian regimes ban books’: Democrats raise alarm at Senate hearing, The Guardian, September 12, 2023
Democrats introduce their own ‘Bill of Rights’ for public school students, parents K-12 Dive, March 12, 2023
"The U.S. House of Representatives will soon consider a funding bill introduced by Republican leadership that would upend federal investments in public education and workforce programs that are intended to ensure the education system serves young people from all walks of life." House Republican Budget Threatens Public Education, Center for American Progress, November 13, 2023
House weighs deep education funding cuts as shutdown looms, Politico, November 13, 2023
“Republicans are trying to dismantle public education which educates 90% of American kids."
The Daily Beast, July 28, 2022
"A lot of the Republicans' campaign rhetoric hasn't been about student achievement, school choice or standardized testing. Rather, it's about playing out culture wars on the battleground of K-12 schools." How schools (but not necessarily education) became central to the Republican primary, NPR, December 20, 2023
Everything You Need to Know About the Right-Wing War on Books, The New Republic, September 26, 2023
A Fast-Growing Network of Conservative Groups Is Fueling a Surge in Book Bans, NYTimes, December 12, 2022,
Believes government should protect our environment, our clean air and water. Supports alternative, renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
Works to reduce our long-term reliance on fossil fuels.
"The Inflation Reduction Act, which Democrats passed on a party-line vote in summer 2022, includes tax credits and other subsidies for low-emission energy technologies that are meant to help wean the nation from fossil fuels." NYTimes, February 8, 2024
The Inflation Reduction Act finally gave the U.S. a real climate change policy
Economic Policy Institute, August 14, 2023
Democrats’ climate law set off a wave of energy projects in GOP districts. A backlash followed. Politico, Aug 13, 2023
IRS says it will collect $560 billion more from rich tax cheats thanks to Inflation Reduction Act Fortune, February 6, 2024
Supports Oil and Gas Industry
Consistently votes against environmental protections
House Republicans Disarm the United States in the Face of the Climate Crisis... Democrats Appropriations Press Release, November 3, 2023
As Budget Talks Heat Up in Congress, Republicans Ramp Up Attacks on Climate Spending
Inside Climate News, July 11, 2023
US Republicans oppose climate funding as millions suffer in extreme weather The Guardian, July 13, 2023
House Republicans pass energy bill to roll back regulation of fossil fuel production PBS, March 30, 2023
Some Republicans see climate danger. They voted ‘no’ anyway [on the Inflation Reduction Act].
Politico, August 12, 2022
John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
Policies make voting easier for all Americans
Democrats believe Election Day should be a national holiday
Democrats believe that the interests and the voices of the American people should determine our elections. Money is not speech, and corporations are not people. Democrats will fight to pass a Constitutional amendment that will go beyond merely overturning Citizens United and related decisions like Buckley v. Valeo by eliminating all private financing from federal elections. - The Democratic Party Platform
Democrats introduce constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United campaign finance ruling,
The Hill, January 19, 2023
Democrats Reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act
The Freedom to Vote Act protects the right to vote, supports local election workers, bans dark money, and ends partisan gerrymandering. House and Senate Democrats Reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act, Democracy Docket, July 18, 2023
Democrats' biggest push for voting rights fails with no Republicans on board, NPR, October 20, 2021
Senate Republicans block Democrats’ voting and elections bill, CNN, October 20, 2021
"Without the votes to change Senate rules, Democrats had no avenue for overcoming a Republican filibuster against legislation intended to offset new state voting restrictions." After a day of debate, the voting rights bill is blocked in the Senate. NYTimes, January 27, 2022
In 2021, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the Election Integrity Act into law, making it illegal to hand out food or water to people standing in line to vote... Judge partially strikes down Georgia ban on giving voters food and water in polling lines CNN, August 18, 2023
Under the Radar, Right-Wing Push to Tighten Voting Laws Persists NYTimes, May 8, 2023
Black voting rights under threat in GOP supermajority states, Washington Post, April 28, 2023
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
“Democrats know that our nation, our communities, and our lives are made vastly stronger and richer by faith in many forms and the countless acts of justice, mercy, and tolerance it inspires.” Democratic Party Platform
“'But what the First Amendment does call on us to do as legislators is to ensure the United States is not favoring one religion over another,' [Rep. Hillary Scholten (D) MI] added. 'We get into dangerous territory not when we talk about who we are as people of faith, but when we [say] we’re going to legislate our faith on everyone else.'”
How Democrats of faith see devout Speaker Mike Johnson
Roll Call, December 6, 2023
"...among Democrats and those who lean toward the Democratic Party, 80% say the government should never declare any official religion, and just 6% want the government to declare the U.S. a Christian nation." In U.S., Far More Support Than Oppose Separation of Church and State Pew Research Center October 28, 2021
More than half of Republicans support Christian nationalism, according to a new survey
NPR, February 14, 2024
What is Christian nationalism? Christianity Today described it as the “belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Christian Nationalism 'Is No Longer Operating Beneath the Surface NYTimes Opinion, November 1, 2023
House speaker’s Christian nationalist ties spark first amendment fears The Guardian, December 22, 2023
Mike Johnson Gathers Far-Right Christians to Cast Out Demons Rolling Stone, February 6, 2024
"...with an important election coming this Fall, white Christian nationalism is emerging as a serious threat to our democracy." Trump, the ‘religious right’ and white Christian nationalism America, The Jesuit Review, January 5, 2024
The right's Project 2025 wants to make faith the government's job MSNBC, September 8, 2023
"Opponents of church-state separation have been emboldened by recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and the growing acceptance of Christian nationalism on the right." Conservative Christians want more religion in public life. Texas lawmakers are listening
The Texas Tribune, May 4, 2023