Op-Ed by Ray Lenzi, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 12 Congressional District
Bernie Sanders last week suspended his presidential campaign and Joe Biden is now incorporating some progressive positions into his platform. Thus, the “We the People” Lenzi for Congress campaign believes it is time to salute Bernie, and endorse Joe.
Bernie Sanders has for decades consistently championed forward looking and progressive policies. The need to provide affordable and quality healthcare for our people has never been so clear as it is now in the age of the Coronavirus crisis.
While probably best known for his advocacy of universal healthcare, Sanders has also raised a host of other issues. His plan to forgive college debt and provide free college tuition seems prescient when so many low- and moderate- income students and graduates are now out of jobs and healthcare.
Senator Sanders’ call for urgent action on a Green New Deal to address the climate crisis now seems more plausible after seeing the commitment of trillions of dollars in the last month to address the economic crisis spawned by the pandemic.
Whether its healthcare expansion or big projects on renewable energy, the conservative dogma that “we can’t afford it” now seems contrived and highly hypocritical. We salute Bernie for his forward leadership and encourage him to keep championing social and economic justice in general and within the Democratic Party platform and Congress in particular.
We now formally endorse Joe Biden for President. The people have spoken. Biden’s long history in Democratic and retail politics along with his record of working with labor unions and the African American community have paid off. His amiable persona, easy smile and long experience with the Senate and eight years as President Obama’s Vice-President have made him the choice of Democratic voters.
Experience matters. Now the progressive wing of the party must join in a mutually beneficial alliance with the more moderate wing of the party to push forward its agenda for bold action on universal healthcare, climate crisis action and income inequality.
These are not trivial issues. The time is ripe for big changes on the order of those instituted during the Great Depression and World War II era. It was during this period that the country saw many progressive changes including the first national minimum wage, the legalization and empowerment of labor unions, Social Security, unemployment insurance, big infrastructure projects (e.g., TVA, rural electric cooperatives and Works Progress Administration), the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the progressive income tax.
Now, as history turns, we have the opportunity to come together to enact universal healthcare while aggressively addressing climate change with a Green New Deal and income inequality with a $ 15 minimum wage, stronger labor unions, fair progressive taxation and full employment projects in distressed rural and urban communities.
Now with the Coronavirus crisis, great changes are in the air. We dare not blow this opportunity. We must stand together, Bernie and Joe supporters all.
This is our time! Time for great change, again. Past time for Americans to take their government back again. “We say Forward not Backward.” We say “The times they are a’changin’.” We say it’s time We the People retire Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and Mike Bost!