5/21/18
As part of their midterm pitch to voters, congressional Democrats are unveiling a series of policy proposals Monday aimed at cleaning up a "culture of corruption" in Washington. In other words: Drain the swamp. The party says it isn't stealing the slogan and sentiment that helped propel Donald Trump to the White House. Instead, Democrats are returning to an anti-corruption message that helped win back the House of Representatives in 2006 against the backdrop of scandals involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff and lawmakers Tom DeLay and Mark Foley. A decade later, Trump seized on a similar theme, directing voter ire at Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton along with lawmakers of both parties in the nation's capital. And now, with Michael Cohen, Scott Pruitt and others in Trump's orbit under scrutiny, Democrats believe they have a compelling case to make against the current administration and Republicans in Congress. "The American people are sick of getting a raw deal from Washington and they’re tired of broken promises to ‘drain the swamp,’” reads a memo from Democratic leaders outlining various government reform proposals. "It’s an endless cycle taken to a completely unprecedented level under President Trump, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the laws and norms in place to prevent public corruption."
The new reform component is aimed at the Trump administration and includes policy proposals to rein in the influence of lobbyists and high-powered donors and to beef up related ethics laws. Included are calls to pass campaign reform laws designed to empower small donors, and to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court decision on political spending. In addition, the plan features proposals aimed at voting rights, safeguarding election infrastructure, and ending party-directed redistricting. "President Trump promised to fight for the forgotten American, yet Republican-controlled Washington continues business as usual, rewarding the wealthy, privileged and well-connected at the expense of middle class and working families," the Democratic memo reads. "Look no further than Congressional Republicans’ and President Trump’s agenda: billions in tax cuts for the rich, massive giveaways to special interests and the full-frontal corporate assault on workers’ rights and consumers’ protections." "Americans find Trump’s unconventional nature most concerning when the behavior is viewed as abusing power and ignoring standards that protect against conflicts of interest," read the polling memo. In Monday's messaging roll-out, congressional Democrats argue that while corruption appears to be a perpetual theme in Washington, it has been taken to an "unprecedented level under President Trump, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the laws and norms in place to prevent public corruption."
