MORNING MESSAGE
It’s
a paradoxical situation: within the Democratic Party, those who have most often
been right continue to be held at arm’s length by those who – at least in most
cases – were so often originally wrong ... Democratic Party insiders will
sometimes remind independent leftists that they are few in number, and that most
Democrats are happy with their leaders. That’s missing the point ... The
activist left isn’t important because of its numbers. It’s important because its
members are the canaries in the coal mine for an unresponsive political process.
A Democratic Party that patronizes them will also fail to reach the disaffected
majority.
Iowa Working Families Summit Sends Message
Communications
Workers of America President Larry Cohen says Iowa Working Families Summit sent
message to ’16ers: “We were labor and green, students and seniors, farmers
and community organizers, urban and rural, immigrants and native-born, all
realizing that more than ever, we have a common narrative based on democracy and
economic justice that goes beyond our organizational silos, as important as
those silos may be … Democratic presidential contenders campaigning in Iowa need
to step up now and tell us ‘which side they are on.'”
In
Iowa, Hillary Clinton nods toward “debt-free” college. HuffPost: “‘We have
to deal with the indebtedness — to try to move toward making college as
debt-free as possible,’ Clinton said on the Iowa campaign trail. The statement
brings her a step closer to endorsing so-called debt-free college … Sanders’
more specific proposal to eliminate tuition (though not other college expenses),
entitled the College for All Act, would allot $70 billion to cover the total
cost of tuition at the nation’s public colleges and universities…”
Los Angeles Goes For $15
LA
approves $15 minimum wage. W. Post: “The Los Angeles City Council voted
overwhelmingly Tuesday to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020,
up from the current $9 an hour, becoming the largest American city to set a
target that has gone from almost absurdly ambitious to mainstream in the span of
a few years.”
OurFuture.org’s
Robert Borosage explains the lesson from the LA win: “This dramatic change
comes only
because workers organized to demand it … A $15 minimum wage had little support
from political leaders (Sen. Bernie Sanders a rare exception). It had little
support from progressive economists who were more comfortable defending a raise
to $10.10 or to $12 … This is entirely a victory for workers, the movement that
fought for $15, and the unions and community organizations that supported
them.”
McConnell Fast Tracks Fast Track
McConnell
moves toward Thursday fast track vote. Politico: “McConnell said that’s ‘not
the end of the story’ and he will try to accommodate more amendment votes … As
of Tuesday night, the Senate had taken two amendments votes on the bill, though
a handful more are in line to receive a vote later this week. Reid said if
that’s all the amendments that get votes, it will be ‘really unfair.’ Asked if
he will again whip his caucus to block the fast-track bill if McConnell moves to
cut off debate on Tuesday evening, Reid demurred: ‘A decision will be made at a
later time.'”
Few
amendments are expected to get votes. The Hill: “Senators have offered more
than 150 amendments, but only a handful will receive votes, far fewer than Reid
and Schumer wanted. Yet they are unlikely to be able to keep the caucus unified
against proceeding to a final vote on Thursday because the leaders of a group of
about 15 Democrats who support free trade, Sens. Ron Wyden (Ore.) and Patty
Murray (Wash.), are expected to vote for cloture, Democratic staffers say.”
“White
House Threatens to Veto Trade Bill Over Currency Measure” reports WSJ:
“Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew called the bipartisan currency measure a ‘poison
pill’ that could sink the proposed 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership pact if
it is included in legislation needed to complete and win passage of the deal …
[GOP Sen. Rob] Portman rejected the ‘poison pill’ label Tuesday, saying the
amendment was ‘a vitamin’ that would strengthen the U.S.’s negotiating objective
on currency…”
Obama
pushes for separate currency bill. NYT: “With bipartisan momentum building
for a currency amendment to the trade bill, President Obama on Tuesday publicly
backed a pledge by the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee and
Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Ways and Means
Committee, to complete a trade policy enforcement bill by next month. That bill,
which passed the Senate last week, contains its own tough currency measure, but
Republicans are quietly working to water it down if not remove it
altogether.”
Warren
pushes Clinton in Bloomberg interview “Warren’s comments came hours after
Clinton, in Iowa, broke a long silence on the trade deal to say that she has not
yet made up her mind about supporting it. “I want to judge the final agreement,”
she said. That prompted Warren to note that even the former secretary of state
has not been able to see details of the proposed trade agreement with Asian
nations. Noting that Clinton is already opposed to some proposed provisions that
could undermine U.S. regulations, Warren pushed her to go further. ‘She’s always
said that she is opposed to that, but I’d like to see her be clearer on that,’
Warren said.”
Two More Months Of Transportation Funding
House
approves two-month extensions of Highway Trust Fund. NYT: “The extension,
which passed in a 387-to-35 vote with one member voting present, would maintain
funding for the Highway Trust Fund through July 31. The bill now goes to the
Senate, which has just two legislative days left before a scheduled weeklong
Memorial Day recess.”
Dems
get on board. Roll Call: “…23 Democrats voted against the two-month
extension, a number that’s likely to rise if another short-term patch gets put
on the floor to meet the July 31 deadline. Opponents included Reps. Peter Welch,
D-Vt., and John Carney, D-Del., two of the most vocal critics of proverbial
can-kicking who were spearheading a letter at one point wherein members could
pledge not to support another stopgap.”
Breakfast Sides
Progressive
victory in Philly mayoral race. Philadelphia Magazine: “Jim Kenney won the
Democratic mayoral primary in dominating fashion … his rhetoric on schools moved
to the left … Kenney locked up union support early … [Opponent Anthony] Williams
came into the campaign as the most well-known Democratic champion for charter
schools and vouchers in all of Pennsylvania …”
Wind
power could be generated in all 50 states. NYT: “The industry, which has
spread to 39 states, has at the same time been moving skyward with taller
turbine towers and larger blades … In roughly the last six years, that has taken
robust wind development to states like Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, where wind
power can often be as inexpensive as conventional sources like coal. Now, energy
officials and executives are pushing toward machinery that would reach 360 to
460 feet high. That would increase the wind development potential in an
additional 700,000 square miles — more than a fifth of the United States…”
House
conservatives predict they will kill Ex-Im Bank. Politico: “The bank’s
charter is set to expire at the end of June. “I believe the momentum is in our
favor,” said House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) …
Democrats want to reauthorize the bank and say it would pass if the speaker
allowed a vote, but that would mean defying the wishes of a majority of the GOP
conference.”
Rail
safety costs money. NYT: “…analysts say that if there’s one lesson from
abroad for preventing accidents like last week’s, which killed eight and injured
more than 200, it is this: You get what you pay for. By a global standard, the
United States has not been paying much. For the size of its economy, it lags far
behind many of the world’s most developed countries in spending on rail
networks.”
Progressive
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