House Democrats roll out policy "action plan" ahead of midterms
House Democrats on Wednesday rolled out the agenda they're promising to enact if they take back the majority in November's midterm elections, contrasting their plan to focus on pocketbook issues with the current Republican leadership.
"You can either sue the president of the United States or do your job here in the House of Representatives and pass laws that help the middle class," Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said on the steps of the Capitol, surrounded by his fellow Democrats.
The "100 Days of Action" plan includes legislation to raise the federal minimum wage, ensure equal pay for men and women doing the same work, and to allow more students to refinance their student loans. The Democrats also discussed legislation called the CEO Employee Pay Fairness Act that would stop corporations from taking tax deductions on CEO pay over $1 million unless they give their employees a raise.
"The defining issue of our time is middle class economic security," said Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The Republican majority, meanwhile, has "turned its back on the middle class," he said. "Today behind these doors they will waste an entire day and taxpayer dollars plotting to sue the president of the United States."
The Democratic press conference took place as the House Rules Committee was working on a draft resolution for the House to sue President Obama over a change to the Affordable Care Act.
To take back the majority, Democrats would have to win 17 more seats in the House. Political watchers, however, have suggested that may be a tall order.
The DCCC announced this week that it's raised $25.3 million for the second quarter of 2014 and has $50.9 million in the bank, giving it an $8.4 million cash advantage over the House Republicans' campaign arm.
