"We need to galvanize the American people to demand radical changes in the way we do business," [Sen. Bernie] Sanders implored…

 

By Brian Friel

May 9, 2008

 

"[T]he disgust for right-wing extremism and the Bush administration is very apparent," he said. "Our job is, now, to give the American people a progressive alternative." He admonished the Democratic Party to start "forgetting about their campaign contributors" and fight for national health care, tax increases on the wealthy, cuts in military spending, and an end to the Iraq war. "We need to galvanize the American people to demand radical changes in the way we do business," [Sen. Bernie] Sanders implored.

 

As the November elections draw closer, such heady talk is increasingly common among congressional liberals--or progressives, as many of them prefer to be called. From rank-and-file freshmen to committee chairmen, the Left is forecasting big electoral wins followed by major legislative action in 2009. "If you get a Democratic House, Senate, and president, you will see positive public policy changes that will outstrip anything since the New Deal," House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., boldly predicted on April 24. …

 

[A]t the moment, optimism rules the liberal ranks.

 

"I'm looking forward to November," Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., a key liberal on the House Rules Committee, said. "If things turn out the right way, this could be the beginning of a time of great transformation." …

 

Andrea Batista Schlesinger, executive director of the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, a progressive group based in New York City, said that Congress appears increasingly willing to intervene in the financial markets. "There's a pretty unprecedented opportunity to drive a progressive agenda in Congress," she said. …

 

Similarly, Brown said that progressives hope to correct the negative consequences of past policy steps that limited the government's reach. "It's clear that so much of what's brought on the economic problems now are because we've done tax cuts for the rich and we've deregulated the whole financial structure," Brown said. …

 

At an April 24 Christian Science Monitor breakfast, Frank said that once Democrats gain full control of Washington, they'll usher in a new era of government activism to respond to the unregulated securitization of debt that led to the subprime mortgage crisis and other problems facing the economy. He also predicted a variety of other progressive initiatives.

 

"You'll see expansions in health care," Frank said. "I think you'll see an increase in the rights to join unions. You'll see increased regulation. You're going to see the updated [Securities and Exchange Commission], the updated [National Labor Relations Board], an updated Medicare. ... We'll get back to the business of building affordable housing. I think you'll see substantial activity."

 

During debate on the congressional budget resolution each year, progressives lay out their priorities by proposing an alternative plan. This year, they proposed cutting funds for the Iraq war and for the Pentagon in general, and their budget assumed that many of the tax cuts approved during Bush's first term would expire. Progressives would redirect that money--hundreds of billions of dollars--to domestic infrastructure and anti-poverty programs. …

 

Congress must be more assertive in overseeing foreign policy and national security, Woolsey added. "We are not just a cheering section or a booing section," she said. She also argued for a clear commitment to multilateralism and international agreements. …