08/21/2024 --axios
Beneath Democrats' forceful show of unity around Kamala Harris in Chicago, a quiet struggle is playing out over her – and her party's – positions on thorny issues like immigration and Israel.Why it matters: Multiple progressive lawmakers acknowledged to Axios that they are uncomfortable with how Democrats have tacked to the center and previewed a schism that will likely come into full view after Nov. 5."I will be pursuing a progressive agenda with many members of the Progressive Caucus," Rep. Chuy García (D-Ill.) told Axios."So we're going to have those tensions play out." Driving the news: Harris has gone back on a multitude of progressive positions she took in 2020, including support for a fracking ban, single-payer health care, an assault weapons buy-back program and Supreme Court expansion.The Democratic platform codifies those shifts to the center and then some, removing references to universal health care from the 2020 platform while adding hawkish language on border security.Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), who won a special election in February by supporting a border crackdown, is slated to speak to the convention Wednesday about his views on immigration, Axios first reported.What they're saying: García said he is "personally not comfortable" with the party's shift on border security, blasting it as a "defensive" and "reactive" response to GOP attacks.Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said she feels "the same way" as García, telling Axios: "The problem that we are in is that we cannot seem to separate [the] border from immigration reform.""Everyday Americans want to see a progressive agenda. ... This is the kind of work that you're going to hear us continue to talk about behind the scenes, publicly and everywhere we go," Ramirez said.Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) told Axios progressives "have some real work to do ... to stop letting Fox News drag our politics so far to the right" on issues like immigration, though he said he doesn't "put that on any presidential campaign."Between the lines: Progressive lawmakers' willingness to talk openly about their concerns is notable given how successfully Democrats have played up their unity this year.It is a signal that while the intra-party divides which dominated the 2016 and 2020 election cycles have been placed on the back-burner this year, they aren't going anywhere in the long term.Zoom in: Another tug-of-war playing out between progressives and the establishment is the convention's treatment of the pro-Palestinian "uncommitted" delegates who are pushing for speaking time and changes to the platform.Ramirez and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Axios they are among the lawmakers pushing the party to accommodate those demands to avoid alienating young and progressive voters."I think that there is a willingness, so hopefully we can continue to move that forward," Jayapal said.Yes, but: Some progressives insisted that these are fights that should be kept largely behind the scenes at least until after the election."Look, the platform is always a challenge ... but really what matters is the legislative agenda," said Jayapal.Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) told Axios: "Is the platform perfect? In my opinion, no. But I'm not looking for perfection. I'm looking for decency."The other side: Moderates, too, are closing their ears to the argument that the party needs to do more to appease progressives."Do they want to be right or do they want to win?" said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.). "If we want to win, then we need to appeal to not just Democrats ... once we're in power, we can have those discussions."The bottom line: Nearly every lawmaker who spoke to Axios expressed hope that Harris would pursue a bold progressive agenda in office – though they acknowledged that will depend largely on whether Democrats hold full control of Congress.Still, they are not about to let her off the hook: "Many of us support a Green New Deal and a just transition to a society that is more sustainable, so those are all debates and fights we'll have after the election," said García.
