Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 08:47 pm

House and Senate Democrats have unveiled a bold agenda that targets Trump corruption and the GOP swamp that has left the American people behind.

The Democrats have introduced A Better Deal for Our Democracy as the new plank to their 2018 economic agenda:

A Better Deal For Our Democracy is made up of three pillars:

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I. Empower the American Voter to Ensure Responsive Government. We must protect every citizen’s right to vote, safeguard our election infrastructure from hostile actors and put an end to partisan redistricting.

II. Strengthen Our Nation’s Ethics Laws to Fight Special Interests. We must end the revolving-door in Washington and rein in the influence of high-powered Washington insiders, lobbyists and big-money donors – and the special interests that are driving Washington’s agenda.

III. Fix Our Broken Campaign Finance System to Combat Big Money Influence. We must break the stranglehold on our democracy by wealthy and well-connected campaign donors by empowering everyday Americans and ending the scourge of unaccountable “dark money” unleashed by Citizens United.

“The White House and GOP Congress’ big donor-driven agenda is sticking the American people with a raw deal,” said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “Republicans are putting special interests and lobbyists before hard-working families – from handing billion-dollar tax breaks to Wall Street and wealthy corporations shipping jobs overseas, to prioritizing dirty energy polluters destroying our clean air and clean water, from refusing to stand up to Big Pharma’s outrageous price hikes on sick children, seniors and working families. Democrats are committed to giving the American people A Better Deal for Our Democracy that will put the power back in the hands of the people and ensure our political system works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.”

That tone that you’re sensing in the Democratic agenda is populism. Democrats get it. People want their government back from Trump and his swamp creatures. Not only have the American people gotten a bad deal from Trump, and but the Republican-controlled White House and Congress also don’t even know that they exist.

“President Trump famously campaigned on ‘draining the swamp’ but he so far he has filled it up with pay-to-play schemes inside and outside his administration. From Michael Cohen cashing in more than a million dollars promising influence of the president, to Mick Mulvaney admitting to donors that donations equal access, President Trump has made it clear that draining the swamp is yet another broken promise,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “Democrats are proposing a better deal for the American people – one that actually cleans up corruption and loosens the vice-grip that special interests have over Washington Republicans and the Trump administration by strengthening our nation’s ethics laws to restore integrity to government service.”

Democrats have winning message for 2018

Democrats sense the mood of the country. There hasn’t been an administration in modern that has been this transparent about their corruption. People want their government back. They want elected officials who represent their views on the issues. Democrats didn’t say it, but this agenda is about creating a check on Trump. There is a sense in the country that the government has gone too far to the right.

If Democrats make this election about integrity, and who really represents the people, they will win. Republicans have no agenda and have hitched themselves to a president that people don’t believe or like.

The Democrats have tapped into the mood of the country, and that means that the blue wave is one step closer to becoming a reality.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association