The Squad Was Right To Vote Against The Infrastructure Bill

[wellst0nev0ter]

Manchinema is deliberately slow-walking Biden's BBB, and they will not let it pass.

If you think Manchinema is negotiating in good faith, I have a bridge in Antarctica to sell you.

BIF was the only leverage we had against Manchinema, since they actually invested some effort into making it "bipartisan." Now that it has passed, they have no incentive to pass the rest of Biden's agenda.

Those who think half a loaf is better than nothing haven't been paying attention to the polls. BIF did not move the needle an inch, and Biden's favorability is tanking among those under 30—those who will be most affected by climate change and inequality.

We ended up with the worst of both worlds.

Midterm elections is about who can bring out the base better. A half-a-loaf roads bill that will only increase carbon emissions will not excite the base, period.

The Supreme Court abortion case was the one chance to turn out the base. But because the Court punted, we're back to square one.

[questionseverything]

1. I have been letting my family, friends and neighbors to not count on the child tax credit check in

January

It’s kind of cruel, they got a taste of being able to pay bills and eat without as much pressure

Now half of American children will be plunged back into poverty

[lame54]

2. Post doesn't make case for the squad

[Frasier Balzov]

3. We do need to fix stuff.

Good governance can't just be about currying favor with the electorate.

"This is the face of someone who has fought long and hard for the *good* of the people without caring much for any of 'em. And I look a lot worse without my wig."

[radius777]

4. The Squad's 'no' votes were mostly symbolic I think,

if Pelosi needed Squad votes she would've had them.

Manchinema are worse than the Squad in terms of blocking Biden's agenda and making us look ineffective.

I think it will pass eventually, as Biden will put pressure on Manchinema who likely gave them his word. Of course they will probably gut it to some degree - dental care is apparently too much for Americans to expect of their country.

[Celerity]

11. +1

The BBB Act is fairly likely to pass, but it will very likely be further gutted from the version the House passed.

The Squad's 'no' votes were mostly symbolic I think,

if Pelosi needed Squad votes she would've had them.

100% agree

Manchinema are worse than the Squad in terms of blocking Biden's agenda and making us look ineffective.

100% agree

The Squad chopped nothing, blocked nothing from passing, at the end of the day, in terms of the 2 infrastructure bills. Manchin and Sinema already have gutted the hell out of both, $3.8 trillion and counting.

[radius777]

13. And nothing they wanted was far-left

as some try to portray. The things they wanted were exactly what Biden wanted. It is Manchinema who are fucking everything up.

[Orangepeel]

5. there was no leverage

Sinema *might* have wanted the bill that passed more than she didn't want the bill that hasn't, but not Manchin.

Leverage was imaginary.

[WHITT]

15. I Couldn't Disagree More

Manchin desperately wanted the BIF. He was running around WV, and doing remote TV interviews back to WV, BRAGGING about all the infrastructure money and projects he would be bringing to WV. He needed it.

Which is why, now that he's saying he wants to PAUSE the BBB until '22, turnabout would be fairplay for Biden to PAUSE the release of any infrastructure funds to WV, until AFTER Manchin agrees to vote for the BBB and without cutting it to pieces.

Not to mention his arguments against the BBB adding debt and being inflationary, and more, are all bogus.

[brooklynite]

6. So we'd be better off not passing either?

Yes, I'm aware that their votes weren't needed. But if you think they shouldn't have voted for BIF, you think nobody else should either, unless your only concern is symbolism.

[LakeArenal]

9. Exactly. So tired of the doom and gloom.

People aren’t yet feeling the passing of the infrastructure bill.

I guess we should all give up.

I don’t care how much the needle moves now. We are on the correct road.

[Sherman A1]

12. Agreed

half a loaf is better than nothing. I am so entirely pissed at Cori Bush (MO 1st) for this rookie move on her part. Lacy Clay would have never done such a boneheaded thing. I will vote for the Democrat in the election, but I hope we have a better one than her.

[Jedi Guy]

18. Cori Bush was also one of those who banged on the "defund the police" drum.

It was a dumb slogan in 2020, and it will be a dumb slogan in 2022. "Defund the police" is the political equivalent of an own goal.

[Sherman A1]

20. I am not at all pleased with her

Comes across as too much of a rookie showboat to me. I really preferred Lacy Clay who was progressive and had a sense of what was possible.

[wellst0nev0ter]

24. She won with "Defund the Police"

Because she has convictions that she stands behind.

[wellst0nev0ter]

23. We could have passed BIF and BBB if they were NOT delinked

We combine them as a single bill, have Manchinema give an up-or-down vote, and dare them to go against Biden's agenda and be pariahs within their own party.

Decoupling the bills was the biggest mistake of this legislative session.

[boston bean]

7. Bullocks.

[wryter2000]

10. You said it better than I did

And with only one word.

[wryter2000]

8. The worst was not one bill but none

I posted when the first bill passed that it likely ended the chance of getting the BBB. I don't know if that's true or not, but nothing is definitely not better than something.

[doc03]

14. Could be with all the inflation news the MSM

is reporting on. I think we will lose Manchin. But we would probably have neither one now.

[gab13by13]

17. I listened to president Biden yesterday,

and he said that passing BBB would help ease the inflation.

[Calista241]

21. The problem is that Biden saying that goes against the conventional wisdom.

People generally associate government spending with inflation.

It may not be correct, but Biden and Dems will have to do a whole lot of education real fast in order to make that case in the timeframe we need it to pass BBB.

[wellst0nev0ter]

25. Inflation is the sign of the economy righting itself

Remember what happened last year? Prices of oil was so low, people were PAYING people to buy crude oil.

Discussing inflation without that context is astronomically dumb.

[gab13by13]

16. Joe Biden ran for president pushing BBB.

A half a loaf is better than none isn't a great 2022 election slogan. Hopefully progressive Democrats are wrong and something gets passed.

[wellst0nev0ter]

26. Half a loaf doesn't get you votes. Period.

And you don't get votes by pissing off your base with half a loaf.

[Scrivener7]

19. Not even close.

[Tickle]

22. passing one is better

thank not passing anything. I don't believe the BBB will pass and I don't think it was ever going to pass. Manchin and others are to in bed with coal and gas and all those lovely fumes that are polluting the world

I am counting on the SC abortion case to bring out the base. Can you please explain to me how the "Court punted" I truly don't understand what you mean by that.

thank you in advance

[dsc]

27. what should have happened was that 40 dems filibuster the defense bill

until BBB was passed.

[wellst0nev0ter]

28. At this point, we have too much to lose to worry about optics

So yes, go with the nuclear option.