There is No Progressive Mandate For the Democratic Party

Only Joe Manchin.

With Trump’s numbers low, Democrats have renewed hope for 2018: they could keep the Senate close and maybe win back the House. But to get there, they will need to forge a broad path. That means truly understanding the states and districts that will decide the fate of Congress. On July 19, 2017, Third Way hosted a breakfast discussion with some of the Members of Congress who understand this best: Senator Joe Manchin (WV) and Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5) and Suzan DelBene (WA-1). (photo: Third Way Think Tank)

After an exhausting and grueling night on Capitol Hill Thursday, House Democrats managed to pass President Biden’s legislative package along party lines.

Hoping to be the future Speaker of the House post-2022, no doubt, House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) started speaking at 8:38 p.m. Thursday evening. He was expected to speak for about an hour; he didn’t stop speaking until after 5:00 a.m. Friday morning. McCarthy only managed to delay Build Back Better’s passage in the House, but he did manage to prevent any Republicans from voting for the bill.

Democrats had precious little chance to celebrate the bill’s passage through the news cycle. Their victory lap was cut short by the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, who was on trial after killing two people and wounding another during the riots in Kenosha last year. The verdict, while not at all surprising to those who were following the case closely, dominated the news cycle, sucking all the air out of other stories.

There is another reason House Democrats were somewhat muted in their celebrations. The gauntlet for President Joe Biden’s legislation package stretches ahead, where West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is waiting.