The HEROES Act has some good elements, like state fiscal relief & SNAP benefits, but it also cuts taxes for the rich through state & local tax deduction cap repeal, includes corporate & lobbyist giveaways, & fails to provide appropriate health coverage. It's not acceptable as is.
It's good to see progressive members of the House, led by @PramilaJayapal & @MarkPocan, upset with this bill & pushing back. The problem is that they won't accomplish much unless @SpeakerPelosi legitimately thinks she might lose their support.
The thing is, right now, @SpeakerPelosi believes that social justice advocates are unlikely to withhold their votes. That's the reason the legislation isn't very good. She has a number of privilege-defending goals & thinks she can pass legislation in line with them.
This is a common problem social justice advocates face: if Pelosi knows that, at the end of the day, you'll vote for whatever she puts forward because you'll see it as better than the alternative, what incentive does she have to meet your demands?
The question answers itself.
The question answers itself.
If social justice advocates want to have power, they *have* to be willing to draw lines in the sand on important issues & not waver. This is a fact of life that also can have short-term downsides, but it's something social justice advocates must grapple with. Other groups get it.
Another thing the HEROES Act highlights: social justice advocates should demand smaller standalone bills. There is no reason we have to have gigantic packages. We can & should isolate individually important issues (like direct cash relief) and force a vote on them by themselves.
Policymakers like huge packages because they can wheel & deal & trade & jam stuff in there that nobody can find, or force colleagues to vote for bad stuff because there's other stuff in a big bill that needs to pass. Huge bills reduce accountability & help special interests.
Simplicity is actually a policy virtue. It's a talking point self-described "conservatives" are right about - though they don't typically support it in practice, as their real goal is actually just shoveling money to rich people. We should make the talking point ours!
Standalone bills that are easy to understand, universal programs that are easy to use, an end to special carveouts & credits & deductions that offer some people preferential treatment & leave others out in the cold - these are all elements of what progressives should champion.
But again, to get what millions of people need us to get, we've got to do more than demand it. We have to exercise our power to ensure that our demands have teeth. Let's hope social-justice-minded Democrats flex some muscle on coronavirus relief.
