Another pandemic is sweeping across the U.S. This one, decades long, mainly affects the lives and prospects of working Americans. In the 2016 election, it was called the lesser evil. Progressives were instructed to “hold their noses” [Noam Chomsky] and vote for Hillary Clinton. Armageddon being the likely result if Hilllary lost and Trump won. Hillary did lose and it turned out that it was not the end of civilization but the 45th iteration of a bought and paid for politician spending over $1 billion (since Obama in 2012) to grab the top seat in America’s quadrennial horse race. Little changed — the rich got richer and the rest of us wallowed in our misery.
Today the lesser evil crowd, right wing democrats going by the misnomer moderate, are hell-bent on halting social reforms like universal health care, free college tuition and cancellation of student debt. Their newest message “best to settle for no change masquerading as incremental change than to disturb the status quo (aka trillions on the military a scintilla of that on the people, a tax-free ride for billionaires). To breathe life into that phony assurance, Democrats are pointing with pride to the partial success of two bills making their way through Congress — the BIF (Bipartisan Infrastructure bill) and the BBB (Build Back Better bill). Fakery rides again.
The BIF, passed by both houses of Congress, was signed by the president in an extravagant ceremony always reserved for bills that will do the least for working Americans and the most for the billionaire crowd. Predictably the corporate media conglomerates owned by fifteen billionaires saw it differently— “The bill would repair nation’s roads and bridges and improve rural internet access…includes new clean water initiatives and the largest investment in public transportation…[also] electric vehicle charging stations…[and] is estimated to create over one-half million jobs.” [ABC Nightly News]. Their reaction was expected but the hosannahs tossed out by progressive media were not— Together, these two bills [BIF, BBB], although much reduced from their earliest forms, represent a historic investment in rebuilding many aspects of our society. A key component is investment in green energy and a more sustainable world. [The Progressive magazine in full bow and scrape mode]
Where were these turncoat progressives when it was revealed that more than half of all greenhouse emissions in the US (over three billion tons of CO2 a year) come from transportation and electricity generation, inflicting more than $150 billion in long-term damages each year. No provision in the revised BIF will do much to solve that problem. In fact, the Center for American Progress, based on pollution reduction projections from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office, revealed that the BIF delivers only 6% of the greenhouse gas pollution cuts Biden promised.
The BIF didn’t begin life as a bonanza for fossil fuel companies, drug industry honchos and other assorted oligarchs. On the campaign trail, Biden spoke out of the faintly progressive side of his mouth promising $2.3 trillion in new money for desperately needed repairs to America’s infrastructure, the emphasis being on a commitment to sustainable environmental changes like the Clean Energy Performance Program which would have rewarded utility companies for switching to renewable energy sources and imposed penalties for those that did not. That program made it as far as the dumpster.
Shortly after he won, Biden following the dictates of his wealthy donors, who were responsible for a substantial portion of the $1.6 billion that his campaign raised, cut the $2.3 infrastructure package to $1.7 trillion. Worse yet, the truncated bill included only $579 billion in new money over ten years, around 50 billion annually. What remained ($1trillion) consists of money already allocated for highways and other infrastructure projects. MIA were most of his environmental promises.
Simply stated, the BIF does nothing to promote the kind of climate goals necessary to stop the destruction of the planet but ironically worsens the climate crisis, rehabilitating freeways and oil- and gas-powered grids. Overall Biden’s environmental policy bears an eerie similarity to Obama’s. You might remember that Obama signed the Paris Accords in 2015 and then oversaw a 750% increase in U.S. crude oil production. Who can forget his tragic boast — “Obama takes credit for U.S. oil and gas boom: ‘That was me people’” [Washington Times 11/28/2018] Taking a leaf from the master’s playback, at the Glasgow COP26 Climate Summit, Biden promised that the U.S. would “hopefully lead by the power of our example” and reduce emissions by around 50 percent of 2005 levels by 2030.” He returned home to conduct the largest offshore oil lease auction (82 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico) in American history, a larger area than even the Trump administration had targeted.
The pushback from progressives was immediate and as usual lame — “Given the fact that 25% of U.S. carbon emissions come from federal oil, gas and coal, there is no way the U.S. can meet its climate obligations by continuing to operate the program with business as usual. And that’s what proceeding with this lease sale does.” [Letter sent to Biden from a coalition of environmental justice organization.
Did Biden respond via the BBB? Judge for yourself. Emerging from Bernie Sanders’ budget committee as a $6 trillion measure designed to improve almost every aspect of working Americans’ lives and save the planet, the bill dwindled to $3.5 trillion and with right wing dems who know how to bully their way to success, riding him hard, Biden quickly cut it down to $1.8 trillion, which at best will wind up $1.7 trillion after the $1 billion for immigration reform is stripped out by the Senate as it most assuredly will be.
What didn’t make the cut? Virtually everything Biden promised when he was campaigning— free community college, paid family leave (after completely disappearing has gone from a not-so-great twelve weeks to a pathetic 4 weeks not scheduled to start until 2024), Medicare vision and dental benefits although the cheapest benefit, hearing, survived and a robust Medicare drug negotiating plan replaced by an industry friendly do-nothing for years give-away. The $44 billion in funding for HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) reduced to $2 billion, $100 billion to modernize the nation’s schools gone, cancellation of $10,000 of student loan balances tanked when Biden claimed he “wasn’t sure” he had the authority. Apparently, the cognitive skills of his administration were not up to comprehending the clause in The Higher Education Act of 1965 which allows the Department of Education to “compromise, waive, or release any right, title, claim, lien, or demand, however acquired, including any equity or any right of redemption.”
Most tragic of all, the self-styled “environmental” president, rejiggered $150 billion meant to replace coal fired plants with electricity driven and alternative energy plants. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, who has made over $4.5 million from his family’s coal business, knows how to take care of business. The $150 billion disappeared then reappeared as tax cuts for coal companies. Progressive could learn from his example.
What were self-styled progressive activists, politicians and non-profits doing as both bills were being sliced and diced? In their usual position, on bended knee, groveling as they gratefully accepted crumbs from their overlords’ table. “It’s not everything that we would have like, but it is good. It will help patients in this country…We are going to be able to negotiate directly with the drug companies, Medicare will use its purchasing power for admittedly a small group of drugs. [Dave Mitchell, CEO of the unaptly named Patients for Affordable Drugs Now] How many drugs are scheduled to be negotiated? Ten not the 250 in the original legislation and only drugs no longer patent protected (10-13 years old). Actual price reductions will take their own sweet time materializing two to four years later.
Another sell-out Alex Lawson of Social Security Works peddled the drug company line— “while the pharmaceutical corporations were able to use their money to limit the number of drugs Medicare can negotiate on, [righto from 250 to 10] this is still an important victory for seniors…It’s also the biggest defeat Big Pharma has ever suffered… and we’re only beginning to fight… And we will win.” “Only beginning to fight” — only in the faux progressive lexicon could winning by folding be called victory. Is this “the biggest defeat Big Pharma has ever suffered?” Not exactly. According to most drug industry analysts this pretend reform is “not a bad outcome” for the industry. Even the supposedly non-partisan CBO (Congressional Budget Office) confirms the cost to pharma will be at best minimal. Here’s why. The original drug price reform bill was expected to save the U.S. $450 million over ten years. Instead, the industry-friendly bill that emerged reduces that amount by more than a third. Then there’s the watered-down mandatory cap on drug price increases not scheduled to go into effect for years. Pharma will circumvent that provision by raising their already obscene launch prices of new drugs.
How did the CPC (Congressional Progressive Caucus) react? Explosively one would expect. Not exactly. “A positive step forward” (only a century behind the rest of the developed world) … “Lowering the cost of prescription drugs is overwhelmingly popular and desperately needed… Something to Build On” That’s why it was one of our priorities for the Build Back Better Act.” So, no sale there. But in the fiery tradition of Malcom X and Martin Luther King, a tsunami of opposition must have erupted out of the CBC (Congressional Black Caucus). Not exactly. Their response — “Trust them” [ party leaders Pelosi, Schumer and Biden]. When all hope is lost, there’s always that stalwart progressive, former CBC chairman James Clyburn— This bill helps to repair some of the faults [in our healthcare system] … We need peoples’ healthcare restored …and we need people to feel better about themselves and their families and it’s all wrapped in this legislation…” Oh, that’s right, Clyburn is on the take from the drug companies to the tune of over $1 million in the past decade. Applauding drug industry nonexistent reforms is not a one-off for Rep. Clyburn. He’s got other fish to fry. Among his most generous donors, electric utilities are right up there with the drug industry. The BBB called for sweeping regulation of electric power plants powered by fossil fuels. The effect on obscene profit-making was a scary thought for utility executives. Not to worry, the former chairman of the CBC, James Clyburn came riding to the rescue.
Do progressives deserve better leadership from the politicians they elect? You betcha. Do they get it. Not when the peoples’ interests clash with a politician’s corporate donors. One courageous woman who is not afraid to speak truth to power explodes the myth that progressives should be satisfied with incremental change moving at a snail’s pace: A ton of volunteers and activists and everyday people all around the country worked their [posteriors] off… to deliver a trifecta for Democrats, [the presidential win and the victory of two democratic senators in Georgia handing the Senate to the Democrats] and for Democrats to take that trifecta and fail to deliver on a core consensus Democratic priority — and also, by the way, one that is wildly popular with the American people across party lines — [is] a catastrophic failure.” [Mary Small Indivisible, grass-roots activist group]
When there are a chorus of voices sending out the same message, real reform is a heartbeat away.
