Landsman: “A Pledge to America”

Seeing President Donald Trump's shameful and wildly unpopular budget forced on the American people through a tie-breaking vote by the vice president was one of my most painful days in Congress. Voters in my district and across the country didn't ask for this and they don't want it. More than 60% of Americans oppose Trump's budget, 58% say he's gone too far in slashing the government and only 44% approve of his handling of taxes, according to a CNN poll released July 16.

The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act is big - but it's ugly and unfair. It is the largest upward transfer of wealth in American history, showering tax cuts on the rich while cutting benefits for working people. It will damage the economy, balloon the deficit and dismantle services for hardworking taxpayers, adding nearly $4 trillion to the debt including interest, while cutting healthcare for 15 million Americans and slashing food assistance for 5 million children, seniors and veterans.

It is the latest chapter in the nearly half-century failed experiment in trickle-down economics, the disproven magical thinking that lavishing tax cuts on the wealthy and big corporations will somehow help middle-class and low-income Americans. In reality, working Americans will struggle with rising grocery costs, stagnant wages and out-of-reach prices for housing, health care and higher education.

Democrats must regroup and unite under a promise to repeal this law or restore these benefits, reestablishing ourselves as a trusted and effective alternative to the chaos, corruption and cruelty of the party in charge. We need to make a clear commitment to make the economy and politics work for everyone.

I won a seat in Congress in a competitive Midwestern district, defeating a 13-term incumbent in 2022. In town halls across a region with roughly equal numbers of Democrats, Independents and Republicans, I learned that most voters - regardless of party affiliation - want strong leaders who are focused on fixing the economy, lowering costs and keeping everyone safe.

I heard from voters who are exhausted by an economy that puts working families behind. The tax code is broken to favor the super wealthy, while corporate consolidation leaves us with fewer choices and higher prices. People want a tax code that rewards hard work, not wealth. They want to be able to pay for necessities like healthcare and housing. And they want to be safe from gun violence and crime.

So while Trump and Republicans in Congress are breaking things; Democrats must prove we can fix them. That starts by admitting we've made mistakes.

During the 2024 campaign, Democrats tried to convince Americans struggling to afford groceries that the economy was good. The truth is it's been broken for decades, with policies that have concentrated wealth at the top. The top 10% has more than two-thirds of the wealth in America, according to Federal Reserve data.

In the last election, some elected Democrats dismissed concerns about border security and immigration, ignoring that those issues are critically important to most Americans. Neither party offered solutions for parents clamoring for better public education for their kids and a more affordable route to college.

What Democrats need is a clear and compelling roadmap for the future - a change agenda that differs clearly from the path set by Trump and congressional Republicans. To reestablish ourselves as the commonsense, anti-establishment alternative, we should embrace economic populism. That means overhauling our system by fixing the tax code so it rewards working families, small businesses, and farmers - not the wealthiest people in America.

We must enact democratic reforms that give power back to the people by ending voter suppression, stopping partisan gerrymandering and getting dark money out of our politics. We need to offer moderate and straightforward solutions to improve government by focusing on core services and ending corruption. We should prioritize public safety, border security, immigration reform and a strong national defense.

We should start with a "Pledge to America," a Democratic blueprint to bolster the working class that has the clarity of the GOP's 1994 Contract with America. That pledge should be built around ten concrete bills - each one focused on fixing what's broken and delivering real results for everyday Americans. Here they are:

1. The "Reward Hard Work, Not Wealth Act" would ensure that 100 percent of tax relief goes to working families, the middle class, small businesses, and farmers - while requiring the super wealthy and large corporations to pay their taxes, just like the rest of us. This bill would also take back Congress' tariff authority, end reckless trade wars, and stop price gouging and corporate consolidation that have been disastrous for the vast majority of Americans.

2. The "Build Baby Build Bill" would make the largest federal investment in housing and community development in U.S. history. It would fund a national infrastructure and housing bank to provide loans to local communities to pay for major infrastructure projects and build more housing, including zero-interest loans and forgivable grants. The bill would include serious investments to incentivize local permitting and zoning reforms to allow communities to build infrastructure and housing more quickly and in more places. The bill would also help offset the cost of rent in key areas where housing has become increasingly unaffordable through expanding successful programs like Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), and New Market Tax Credits. More housing, lower rents.

3. The "Improve Care, Lower Costs Act" would introduce reforms to health insurance, the pharmaceutical industry, and Pharmacy Benefit Managers, and reverse cuts made by the Big Beautiful Bill. It would strengthen and expand Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Affordable Care Act - broadening coverage and lowering out-of-pocket costs. The bill would rein in excessive industry profits and executive compensation, generating savings that are reinvested into improved care and expanded access for millions of Americans.

4. The "21st-Century Anti-Crime Bill" would help communities hire and retain law enforcement officers, and implement common-sense gun reform that will end our gun violence nightmare. This would be on top of bills to address other safety issues, including the border and national security. People need to know we will keep them and their families safe - and that we will do it wisely, constitutionally, and without any of the chaos of Trump.

5. The "Improve Education Act" would pursue a new approach to education reform by helping new moms and dads set their kids up for long-term success. It would expand prenatal care, paid family leave, childcare, preschool, extended learning opportunities, and include efforts to make college and the trades affordable.

6. The "Improve the Federal Government Act" would require an annual, independent audit of all federal spending with binding votes on waste, fraud and abuse. We have to be sure that we are consistently making our government work better. It would also include anti-corruption legislation.

7. The "Fix Our Democracy Bill" would include the content of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to restore our democracy by banning dark money, ending voter suppression, and putting an end to partisan gerrymandering once and for all. Democrats should organize with the singular goal of returning power back to the people.

8. The "Border Security and Immigration Reform Act" would hire new border patrol officers, streamline the asylum process, and add new judges. This same bill should also include real immigration reform that protects Dreamers and establishes more legal pathways through expanded work permits.

9. The "Restoring Personal Liberties Act" would fully codify reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+ rights. Politicians should not be allowed to use the government to punish people they don't like or understand. Democrats should give people their freedoms back, and then leave everyone alone.

10. The "Strengthen America's Global Leadership Act" would pass binding resolutions to reaffirm the United States' leadership role in Europe, the Middle East, and Taiwan to strengthen national security and global stability. This means rejecting authoritarianism, fighting terrorism, selling more American-made products abroad, and rejoining our allies in support of democracy.

There is much more to do, but starting with this blueprint, Democrats must go on the road with a coordinated national campaign to rally the public, reframe the narrative and meet this moment.

This must be done with moral seriousness and political discipline. The Civil Rights movement showed what's possible when grassroots activists, faith leaders, business leaders and elected officials worked together with a common purpose. We must follow that example - not just to make noise, but to invite others in and build something that lasts.

Democrats must get organized and lay out a legislative agenda to repeal the GOP budget, fix the economy, lower costs and keep people safe. That commonsense agenda will win back voters' trust - and fix what Trump has broken.

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