Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent lawmaker who
caucuses with Democrats, warned the Democratic Party this week what
will happen if Democrats do not improve American lives now that
they control the White House, House, and have effective control
over the Senate.
What did Sanders say?
Sanders predicted the Democratic Party will be “wiped out” in
the 2022 midterm elections if they squander their opportunity to
improve American lives.
“Given all that we face, now is not the time to think small. It
is time to think big, very big,” Sanders said on Thursday, according
to McClatchy reporter Francesca Chambers.
“With Joe Biden as president and Democrats controlling the House
and Senate for the first time since 2010, we will be judged on what
we deliver for the American people in their time of need. The
people want action, not excuses,” Sanders explained.
“And let me be very clear. I have zero doubt that unless we
significantly improve the lives of the American people this year,
Democrats will get wiped out in the 2022 midterm elections,”
Sanders predicted. “That is what happened when Democrats had the
House, the Senate and the presidency under Bill Clinton in 1994 and
that is what happened under Barack Obama in 2010.”
“Politicians and media focus a great deal on drama, personality
and conflict,” Sanders added. “That’s how they define politics.
That is not my view. Politics is nothing more complicated than
delivering policy that positively impacts the lives of working
families.
Of course, Sanders’ vision of what policies are beneficial
significantly diverge from the majority of Americans. Sanders is a
self-declared “democratic-socialist,” who advocates for
European-style socialism.
Indeed, Sanders said this week that he would use his power in
the Senate to implement as much of his big government agenda as
possible while Democrats control Congress.
Sanders
wrote in an essay for CNN:
The Senate’s 60-vote threshold to pass major
legislation has become an excuse for inaction. But let’s be clear:
We have the tools to overcome these procedural hurdles. As incoming
Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, I will use a process known
as budget reconciliation that will allow us to pass comprehensive
legislation with only 51 votes.
What’s the history of Dem control?
Democrats have a poor history of leveraging control in
Washington.
In fact, the last two times that Democrats had control of the
White House and Congress — after Bill Clinton’s election in 1992
and Barack Obama’s election in 2008 — Democrats gave up control
in the next national election
The 1994 midterm elections were particularly bad for Democrats;
they lost control of the Senate, House, a net loss of 10
governorships, and numerous state legislatures. The 2010 midterm
elections were equally as bad — coming amid the Tea Party
movement — though Democrats managed to retain control of the
Senate until the 2014 midterm elections.
