Biden, Dems bag big wins in timely show of efficacy

Despite what you may have heard, President Joe Biden is winning.

For all the negative talk about the president’s ratings, inflation and the potential for an economic recession, Biden and the Democrats have reasons to celebrate.

Republicans and former President Donald Trump have been trying hard, in the lead to midterm elections, to paint themselves as the solution to the woes we face as a country now.

Luckily, Democrats in Congress are making an important and timely show of competence, success and, to put it in Trumpian terms, “winning.”

Critically, Biden is at the helm of all of it and even has some colleagues from across the aisle helping. Prominent members of the Republican Party have called out Trump and his morally bankrupt acolytes for their role in the U.S. Capitol insurrection, which has been on full display during the House Jan. 6 committee hearings.

Democrats should take note, and get ready to vote.

Here’s a quick rundown of what Democrats and Biden can point to as signs of success:

The job market got better, adding 528,000 jobs in July as hiring surges in a positive sign for the economy.

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, the last Democratic holdout on the health, climate and tax bill (the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022), now supports it.

Last week, a U.S. drone strike (with no collateral damage) killed Al-Qaida’s leader Ayman al-Zawahri, who was partly responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attack.

Democrats in Congress helped to pass the PACT Act, which helps veterans exposed to toxic burn pits while serving their country.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood up to China by visiting Taiwan.

Gas prices have been going down for seven straight weeks thanks, in part, to an increase in national production and a decrease in the cost of crude oil.

Kansan voters fought back against abortion bans and beat a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed for legislators to significantly restrain, or even ban, access to abortion care.

Biden has thrown his weight behind abortion-care rights, including recently signing an executive order supporting people traveling out of state to seek abortions. The Department of Justice, under Attorney General Merrick Garland, is also challenging restrictive state abortion laws in court, starting with Idaho.

While the health, climate and tax bill doesn’t go as far as progressives want, it’s unlikely they will want to take credit for tanking it when everyone else is on board. Democrats need this win before the midterm elections.

Now that the bill passed the Senate on Sunday and is likely to pass the House this week, it will show Biden and Democrats delivering on two promises:

Clean energy promise that brings the United States close to its emission reduction goals – reducing carbon emissions between 31% and 44% from 2005 levels by 2030.

Lower drug prices by permitting Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and also extend Affordable Care Act subsidies through 2025.

The fight for Democrats to maintain control of the Senate isn’t lost yet. They’ve done an excellent job turning things away from the economy and more toward social issues that get Democrats and independents riled up, such as abortion care.

It’s hard not to see this as winning. As a Democrat, I am ready to shout these successes to the world if it means that I am helping to keep antiabortion zealots out of office come November. For Democrats and abortionrights independents, the social issues agenda needs to stay top of mind.

Let’s recognize that and vote on it come November.