Sinema’s Defense of Carried Interest is Indefensible

After endless negotiations to get Senator Joe Manchin on board with a compromised reconciliation package, the Inflation Reduction Act is now in peril thanks to Arizona Senator (and notorious corporate shill) Kyrsten Sinema. As Democrats scramble to finalize details of the bill, reports indicate that Sinema is demanding Democrats strip provisions that would limit the scope of the carried interest loophole, which allows wealthy private … Continue reading Sinema’s Defense of Carried Interest is Indefensible »

The Economy is Bad. Congress Needs to Fix It

It’s been a big week for economic news. From drama in Congress over the Build Back Better negotiations to continued economic strife affecting working Americans to new tax benefits offered to the rich, our economy is steadily moving in further favor of the wealthy, and the federal government appears ill-equipped to rise to the occasion. This week, we’ll look into how our current economy, policies, … Continue reading The Economy is Bad. Congress Needs to Fix It »

Don’t Fall for Deficit Fear-Mongering

When we hear talk in Congress of investing in infrastructure or funding social services, the proposals always go hand in hand with squawking from deficit hawks. Republicans and even conservative Democrats (including notoriously recalcitrant Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia) fret about how spending money on improving our country will bring ruin by contributing to the national debt.  They’re wrong. The truth is that fears … Continue reading Don’t Fall for Deficit Fear-Mongering »

The Supreme Court is Wrong on Campaign Finance

If recent years have taught us anything, it’s that our democracy is fragile and needs to be protected. But earlier this week, the Supreme Court did the opposite. The Court ruled on Monday in a case involving Texas Senator Ted Cruz that campaign donors should be allowed to replenish political candidates’ personal wealth after election campaigns have concluded. This decision effectively opens politicians up to … Continue reading The Supreme Court is Wrong on Campaign Finance »

Facing Inflation, Congress Must Raise the Minimum Wage

Nearly everyone is feeling the effects of inflation these days. With an 8.5% inflation rate over the last year, prices are rising in almost every sector of our economy, and millions of American families are having a harder time affording the essentials. While this is a widespread crisis, it’s one that is particularly devastating for our nation’s low-wage workers. The federal minimum wage currently sits … Continue reading Facing Inflation, Congress Must Raise the Minimum Wage »

Why Billionaires Don’t Stress About Tax Day

This past Monday was Tax Day, which is undoubtedly no American’s favorite holiday. But the pain of Tax Day is not shared by all. While the typical American pays a good amount of every paycheck in taxes and hopes to get a refund after submitting their return, the ultra-wealthy have a variety of tools at their disposal that allows them to keep Tax Day virtually … Continue reading Why Billionaires Don’t Stress About Tax Day »

The New Generation Labor Movement

After a four-decade-long onslaught of anti-union propaganda at the hands of mega-corporations, we are finally beginning to see a resurgence of the American labor movement. Labor unions have historically used the power of collective bargaining to demand many of the rights we now take for granted. Things like the 40-hour workweek, overtime pay, workplace safety regulations, and the right to organize and negotiate with employers … Continue reading The New Generation Labor Movement »

Billionaire Wealth is Better Than Ever

You’ve heard it from us before, but it still stands to be repeated – while millions of working people’s lives have been devastated by the last two years, the richest Americans are doing better than ever. Billionaire wealth has more than doubled and both corporate profits and corporate executive pay have hit record highs, all while the living conditions of most Americans have remained stagnant … Continue reading Billionaire Wealth is Better Than Ever »

Inequality is Out of Control

If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that we can no longer ignore the widening disparity between the richest Americans and the rest of the country. We’ve seen billionaire wealth (and some billionaires themselves) skyrocket to unprecedented levels, while most Americans are just struggling to get by. This is simply unsustainable – we are reaching a point where inequality is so extreme that … Continue reading Inequality is Out of Control »

Setting the Record Straight on Inflation

With a vote on President Biden’s Build Back Better plan looming ahead in the Senate, centrist and right-wing politicians are yet again wringing their hands over the prospect of inflation. Some Senators, most notably West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, have cited inflation as a potential reason to delay the passage of the Build Back Better Act. While it’s true that inflation is on the rise, there … Continue reading Setting the Record Straight on Inflation »

Billionaires Play by a Different Set of Rules

Over the weekend, online personality, self-described “edge lord,” and richest person alive Elon Musk taunted Americans on Twitter in response to a Democratic proposal that would tax unrealized gains for the obscenely wealthy. The billionaire lamented that, because of his meager salary, in order to pay his tax bill under the billionaires income tax he would be forced to sell some of his hundreds of … Continue reading Billionaires Play by a Different Set of Rules »

Democrats Cannot Pass This Tax Cut for Millionaires

Democrats just can’t get out of their own way. As negotiations around the Build Back Better Act continue, a small group of House Democrats are undermining their party’s ability to sell the legislation to the American people by including a proposal in the Act to lift the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap. Doing so would put more money into the pockets of millionaires … Continue reading Democrats Cannot Pass This Tax Cut for Millionaires »

A (Tiny) Step in the Right

This week, Congressional Democrats are knee-deep in the trenches of negotiations over the final details of President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda. The President’s initial $3.5 trillion proposal included new spending for social programs and bold tax increases on the wealthy and corporations, including a tax on billionaires’ unrealized capital gains and significant increases in corporate, income, and capital gains tax rates. But now it … Continue reading A (Tiny) Step in the Right »

Striketober

This year, the incoming chill of fall is carrying more than just autumn leaves – it’s bringing with it the winds of change. Workers across America are saying enough is enough in response to stagnant wages, brutal working conditions, and mistreatment of workers in the midst of a recession, global pandemic, and skyrocketing corporate profits. Over 100,000 organized workers from across the country have authorized … Continue reading Striketober »

Tax Havens and Tax Reform

This week, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists released The Pandora Papers, a scathing exposé that details how the world’s wealthiest take advantage of international tax loopholes and tax havens to hide their wealth across the globe. While the report largely focuses on the finances of international leaders and elites, the fact that the wealthy are using loopholes to dodge their taxes is nothing new … Continue reading Tax Havens and Tax Reform »

Conservative Dems Can’t Handle the Truth

Last week conservative Democrats attempted to sabotage the President’s agenda and they were solidly defeated. Their demand that the House vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package before details of reconciliation were finished, in direct opposition to a deal agreed upon by Democrats in the House, Senate, and White House, would have sabotaged any attempts to pass the desperately needed funding and tax hikes on the … Continue reading Conservative Dems Can’t Handle the Truth »

Congress Should Represent All Americans- Not Just the Rich

With a contentious debate in Congress regarding the reconciliation bill and its passage, it would seem that the bill and its contents (pulled straight from President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda) are controversial among the American people as well. Instead, polls have demonstrated that the vast majority of voters support the bill and its provisions. The only group that consistently opposes the bill and actively … Continue reading Congress Should Represent All Americans- Not Just the Rich »

No Infrastructure without Reconciliation

Last night, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced to her caucus that she plans to bring the bipartisan infrastructure bill up for a vote this Thursday, separate from the budget reconciliation package. This stands in direct contrast to the agreement reached within the Democratic caucus that both bills would proceed simultaneously, and must be rejected by all Democrats who care about advancing the party’s full … Continue reading No Infrastructure without Reconciliation »