Warren urges Democrats to get ‘aggressive’ against Republicans after Senate triumph
Rachel Schilke
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is calling on her fellow Democrats to be “aggressive” and put Republicans on the defensive now that her party has secured the Senate for two more years.
If Republicans win the majority in the House, they will attempt to take the economy hostage and vote against helping working-class families, Warren wrote in an opinion piece to the New York Times.
Inflation and the state of the economy were top of mind for voters as they went to the polls on Election Day. While Republicans were hoping to sway voters to their side due to high inflation records, Warren said voters “rewarded” Democrats due to liberal policies that helped the public counter soaring costs and created new jobs.
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“For each of the president’s decisions, the punditry was relentless, but the American people — Democrats, independents and Republicans — validated the president’s agenda with their votes,” Warren said.
The so-called red wave failed to materialize on Tuesday, allowing for several Democratic victories in races that were projected to be either close or swing red. Democrats secured a majority in the Senate on Saturday night after Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) won her narrow race against Republican challenger Adam Laxalt and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) defeated Republican Blake Masters.
Despite Democratic victories in the midterm elections, there is more they can do to make lives better as they head into a new Congress session, Warren argued. Immediately, she said, “Democrats should fight back by making this lame-duck session of Congress the most productive in decades. We can start by lifting the debt ceiling now to block Republicans from taking our economy hostage next year. Democrats must then continue delivering for families.”
Warren added: “Where we can pursue legislative action, we should fight aggressively. When Republicans try to obstruct such action and the president can act by executive authority, he must.”
She chastised “lobbying-friendly Democrats” who blocked the Biden administration’s agenda to assist working families, such as cutting housing and child care costs and plans to reverse the Trump administration’s “tax giveaways.”
“They thwarted efforts to fight corruption, end gerrymandering, defend democracy and protect abortion rights,” Warren said. “If these Democrats had listened to voters instead of special interests, we would be in an even stronger electoral position today because we would have delivered even more for Americans.”
The senator praised Democratic candidates who ignored “so-called experts who called Democrats’ messaging incoherent,” including John Fetterman in Pennsylvania and Sen. Raphael Warnock, who Warren said is in a strong position for victory in Georgia’s runoff election.
She also attributed several Democrats’ successes to campaign platforms that focused heavily on protecting abortion rights and democracy while also supporting popular economic plans.
Warren said if Republicans take the House, they will be “stacked with election deniers” who are aiming to reelect former President Donald Trump to office in 2024 — something she believes will not be an asset to the GOP.
“Donald Trump did his party no favors with his preening and support for downright awful candidates who lost,” she said.
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Democrats proved they could beat Republican extremism, Warren said, but Democrats need support measures that will beat back the GOP’s attempts to create “economic chaos.”
“The Democrats should be aggressive in putting Republicans on the defensive, pressing hard on why they are blocking much-needed initiatives to help Americans,” Warren said. “Continuing to reduce inflation and putting money in people’s pockets, expanding the work force through affordable child care, lowering housing costs by increasing supply, raising taxes on the superwealthy, tackling corporate price gouging — this is not a progressive wish list.”