{"id":4482,"date":"2021-01-02T16:48:43","date_gmt":"2021-01-02T16:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=145520"},"modified":"2021-01-02T16:48:43","modified_gmt":"2021-01-02T16:48:43","slug":"paygo-exemptions-in-house-rules-will-help-pave-way-for-green-new-deal-and-medicare-for-all-progressives-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/01\/02\/paygo-exemptions-in-house-rules-will-help-pave-way-for-green-new-deal-and-medicare-for-all-progressives-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Paygo Exemptions in House Rules Will Help Pave Way for Green New Deal and Medicare for All, Progressives Say"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Progressives on Saturday applauded House Democrats for including in the chamber’s rules package for the incoming Congress two key exemptions from the “pay as you go” rule, also known as Paygo, which could cut down on roadblocks keeping lawmakers from passing far-reaching healthcare and climate action legislation. <\/p>\n

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) unveiled an updated rules package which would exempt legislation “to prevent, prepare for, or respond to economic or public health consequences” of the Covid-19 pandemic or of the climate crisis, from being subjected to Paygo.<\/p>\n

Paygo requires<\/a> that any increase in spending by the federal government be matched by offsetting tax increases or budget cuts, and progressives including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have called for the rule to be revoked in recent years while Pelosi and other Democrats have defended it. <\/p>\n

Ocasio-Cortez and her legislative goals were derided by critics after taking office in January 2019, as Pelosi adopted the Paygo rule for the 116th Congress. The New York congresswoman voted against the 2019 rules package. <\/p>\n

\n
\n

One of the 1st votes I ever cast broke w\/ my party over House rules that strangled transformative legislation for working people + climate. It was honestly terrifying.<\/p>\n

Now, CPC has pushed these critical rule changes in House negotiations. Grateful for @RepMcGovern<\/a>\u2019s leadership https:\/\/t.co\/4N0NfF5Arz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 2, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

On Saturday, Ocasio-Cortez added the “demotion” of Paygo to the list of achievements by progressives in Congress in recent years. <\/p>\n

\n
\n

A little flashback for ya this tweet is from my 1st day in Congress.<\/p>\n

Wild day 1 expectations aside, let\u2019s update w\/ how things panned out:<\/p>\n

House Climate Select Committee created
Co-chaired Biden Climate Task Force that upgraded policy
PAYGO is getting demoted<\/p>\n

 https:\/\/t.co\/nfYj6yQRvt<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 2, 2021<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

One of the first deep lessons I learned in the House that process IS policy. If you pass M4A, GND, etc w\/ messed up process\/rules, then it can be weaponized into austerity leg by rules requiring it to have insane tax hikes or service cuts tied to it that aren\u2019t applied to others<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 2, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

So these rule changes are a big deal – & not only on healthcare. They are structural changes in the House that level the playing field for a full SUITE of flagship legislation, locks in that field for the next two years, & establishes precedents for after<\/p>\n

This was not easy<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 2, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Breaking the federal government and corporate political press’s “austerity mindset and rules, especially on climate, is a major tenet of the Green New Deal,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Intercept<\/em> journalist Ryan Grim noted that the elimination of Paygo as a consideration for measures involving public health could eventually help Congress to pass Medicare for All as well as other measures to help Americans struggling with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Progressives in the House have won a rules change that would allow Medicare for All, a Green New Deal or other big ticket agenda items to be exempted from paygo. This was a necessary step in opening the way for it. pic.twitter.com\/OAqpIhTxp7<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) January 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The value of changing the rules, even though they don\u2019t yet have the votes for M4A, is that it is easier to defend the rules as they are than fight for changes. <\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Also it applies to things this term that can actually pass, like more checks, Medicaid and Medicare expansion etc<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) January 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Lawmakers “could quite easily cite [the pandemic and the climate crisis] as the need for expanded public healthcare, which is specified in both subsections,” Grim tweeted, <\/a>adding that the rules change “easily covers a very sweeping set of policies.” <\/p>\n

After decades of powerful House Democrats being “fervently committed” to Paygo, tweeted<\/a> Claire Sandberg, former national organizing director for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), “it’s welcome news that exemptions have now been created for two extremely broad policy areas.”<\/p>\n

Other progressives praised the proposed rules change, which must still be voted on in the Democrat-controlled House, on social media. <\/p>\n

\n
\n

Paygo\u2019s the biggest scam of the decade designed to legitimize the fear-mongering over artificial deficits. This is a big win by progressives. https:\/\/t.co\/tzdeZgT7wm<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ron T. Kim (@rontkim) January 2, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

End of Nov, the Progressive Caucus decided on a set of progressive rules reform priorities: Paygo reform and MTR reform ranked high on that list. <\/p>\n

So grateful to Chairman @RepMcGovern<\/a> for helping us secure these reforms and setting the stage for us to push for bolder agenda. https:\/\/t.co\/nKeUzHI06P<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Advocating for progressive values in Congress is hard if you can\u2019t get over the procedural hurdles that exist. Passing these reformed rules is step one in our fight for progress.
I am optimistic about what we can accomplish in the 117th Congress, if we stay focused & strategic.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Reforms to the Motion to Recommit & Paygo were the 2 top priorities for @USProgressives<\/a> in Rules package. These significant changes we negotiated w\/House leadership aget rid of procedural obstacles that are used to stop or weaken bold policies from passing. A great start! https:\/\/t.co\/pYXd1Wx1nT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 2, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Paygo is literally the dumbest idea in DC. It corrupts the whole system. It is the root dumbness. Paygo is still in the proposed rule, but the exemptions are a great first step. <\/p>\n

Into the future where we can do good things! (As long as they are exempted from Paygo) pic.twitter.com\/R2jTrfaham<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Alex \u201cPay Bars and Restaurants to Close\u201d Lawson (@alaw202) January 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Amending paygo opens the door to crucial legislation that meets the scale of our greatest challenges. <\/p>\n

This is a huge victory for @USProgressives<\/a> \u2014 removing a significant barrier to expanding health care and enacting bold climate policy. Let\u2019s get to work! https:\/\/t.co\/543BR9CUkE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Marie Newman (@Marie4Congress) January 2, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

“Amending Paygo opens the door to crucial legislation that meets the scale of our greatest challenges,” tweeted Rep.-elect Marie Newman (D-Ill.).<\/p>\n\n

This post was originally published on Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Progressives on Saturday applauded House Democrats for including in the chamber\u2019s rules package for the incoming Congress two key exemptions from the \u201cpay as you go\u201d rule, also\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4482"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4482"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4483,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4482\/revisions\/4483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}