Democrats Overcome GOP Roadblocks; Build Back Better, Part One is Achieved

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Democrats Overcome GOP Roadblocks; Build Back Better, Part One is Achieved by Ron Malzer, LCDP Board Member

After America watched its roads and other infrastructure deteriorate for four years under then-President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and the Democrats in the US Senate and House knew what needed to be done. And they did it.

Last week, House Democrats joined ranks, with a show of unity producing a 215-to-6 Democratic vote. The Republican obstructionist position, to do nothing at all for rebuilding, got 200 votes out of 213 GOP members of the House. 

Here are ten accomplishments Democrats will campaign on in 2022:

  1. $110B to repair and rebuild roads and bridges;
  2. $65B to ensure every American has access to reliable high-speed internet and lower the cost of internet service;
  3. The largest federal investment in public transit ever;
  4. $66B to eliminate the Amtrak maintenance backlog, modernize the Northeast Corridor, and bring world-class service to new areas;
  5. The first national network of electric vehicle chargers;
  6. $55B to deliver clean water to millions of Americans and eliminate lead service lines;
  7. $65B to upgrade our power infrastructure, including thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines;
  8. $50B to make communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change and cyber-attacks;
  9. $21B to: Clean up Superfund & brownfield sites, reclaim abandoned mines & cap orphaned gas wells; and
  10. The overall package: Creating good-paying jobs while advancing economic & environmental justice modernize airports, ports, and waterways to support supply chains and reduce emissions.

What will the Republicans campaign on in 2022? There will be no record of accomplishments, either during the disastrous Trump years, or in 2021-2022 when their mission, delivered in secret but caught on tape, was announced by Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas): create as much chaos as possible, and blame it on the Democrats.

Voters are not going to fail to notice the difference between the two parties: while Republicans are seeking to run America down, Democrats are building it back better.