Member-only story
I’ve Never Seen Progressive Lawmakers So Confident.
There’s no doubt they have a fight ahead of them, but they are flexing their power.
In recent weeks, particularly as lawmakers are set to vote on some critical pieces of legislation by the end of the month, there has been a welcome and fundamentally necessary sense of urgency and show of strength coming from progressive lawmakers. Even as pressure mounts for them to come to an agreement, they have managed to hold firm and still insist they will not vote yes on the infrastructure bill unless the budget bill filled with their priorities is voted on first. They have taken to the airwaves to not only call out their Democratic colleagues, but identify them by name and the industries that they are beholden to. Something that was undeniably unheard of until recently. Interestingly enough, it doesn’t end there.
Literally just moments ago, Representative Barbara Lee’s account tweeted:
“This week, the House will vote on the Pentagon budget. I’m proposing an amendment with @RepAOC & @repmarkpocan to cut defense spending by at least $25 billion to reinvest in the needs of the people. Let’s get this done.”
