On Tuesday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) stated that “progressives in this country that have been pushing affordability for a very long time as the main economic message that we need to be bringing to people, and not just message, but policies that really expand universal healthcare, that expand childcare for everyone, that ensure that we’re investing in housing. These are the things that we’ve been pushing, and we’re very happy that the entire Democratic Party is on board with that messaging.” And she expects that view to be represented in Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) State of the Union rebuttal.
Co-host Brianna Keilar asked, “Polls show that there is a lot of dissatisfaction among voters when it comes to the president’s policies, but there’s also been a struggle in the Democratic Party to find kind of a message that everyone can coalesce around. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is going to deliver tonight’s Democratic rebuttal. Do you see that as a sign that moderates are winning out in this post-2024 Democratic struggle to find a message?”
Jayapal responded, “Well, you know I’m a very proud progressive, and I always say that progressives are just the first to the best and most just idea. It is progressives in this country that have been pushing affordability for a very long time as the main economic message that we need to be bringing to people, and not just message, but policies that really expand universal healthcare, that expand childcare for everyone, that ensure that we’re investing in housing. These are the things that we’ve been pushing, and we’re very happy that the entire Democratic Party is on board with that messaging. I think we’ve been very effective as a Democratic Party in bringing that message forward, and in also pointing out the hardships that Americans are under when you look at the rising healthcare costs, the fact that people are paying 20,000, 25,000 dollars for premiums just for healthcare, and, of course, groceries that continue to go up because of what this president and this Republican Party has been doing.”
Keilar asked, “So are you expecting that view to be represented in that rebuttal by Gov. Spanberger?”
Jayapal answered, “I think so. When Abigail was here as a House member — we’re so proud that she made Governor, that she won her election as Governor — she was a big champion of universal childcare, as was now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D). These were people that we worked with, very closely, to push the idea of universal childcare. Had we passed what was then called Build Back Better, we would have had amazing investments in housing and childcare. Those were supported by 99% of the Democratic Party. So, I do expect that she will talk about those issues and that there’s a lot of agreement in the Democratic Party about those. And we’re proud, as always, as progressives, to have been first to the best and most just idea.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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