Democrats Propose Sustained Policy Agenda for Economic Prosperity
Democrats are scrambling to find their way back from the political abyss, seeking a compelling new narrative that appeals to independents and even moderate Republicans, all while galvanizing their core base. One emerging theme among progressive influencers is an "abundance" agenda, with Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's Abundance — published in the New York Times and The Atlantic, respectively — serving as a prime example.
They advocate for a government platform centered around delivering abundance to the American people, focusing on infrastructure like affordable housing, clean energy, and mass transit. This appeal resonates with people from all political spectrums who yearn for an efficient, prosperous nation.
However, the abundance argument is narrow-minded, relying on the relaxation of bedrock environmental laws that will be met with vocal opposition from both sides of the aisle. The core of this concept revolves around the built environment, emphasizing construction projects as a key metric, such as facilitating a massive build-out of wind and solar energy projects encroaching upon the landmass equivalent to several states. To achieve these results swiftly, they urge Democrats to diminish regulatory processes that lead to project delays and increased costs.
Conspicuously absent from this vision is an acknowledgement of the nation's natural abundance, which encompasses wildlife, forests, wetlands, farmlands, and other open spaces. The potential loss of these irreplaceable places to development is not acknowledged, nor is the species extinction crisis intensifying under our nose due to rapid habitat loss. To the contrary, they portray environmental laws, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as hindrances in addressing the actual environmental crisis — climate change. This stance is particularly perilous in the face of "permitting reform" legislation and relentless attacks on the ESA currently moving through Congress, disguised under the pretense of modernizing the law.
Given the overwhelming public support for the ESA (95% of voters), Democrats risk alienation if they advocate for weakening it. Bipartisan research by an independent pollster commissioned by Defenders of Wildlife reveals that 62% of voters strongly support the ESA, and more than half believe the law should be strengthened. Americans across the political spectrum recognize the importance of preserving wildlife and saving every species, underscoring that taking care of our wildlife is tantamount to taking care of ourselves.
Crucially, voters are opposed to expediting development projects by reducing the ESA's review process or removing protections for wildlife. This stance contrasts sharply with the Trump administration's actions, which have flouted environmental reviews required by federal statutes, including the ESA, to expedite fossil fuel projects. Democrats should be wary of entering into agreements to weaken permitting requirements for the sake of facilitating renewable energy infrastructure, as the Trump administration will persistently sabotage clean energy projects for the next four years, regardless of what Congress decides.
The time is not ripe for Democrats to weaken or dismantle bedrock environmental laws in the name of delivering perceived abundance to Americans. Instead, they must underscore their commitment to safeguarding our nation's natural infrastructure — not only concrete, steel, and glass infrastructure but also the natural ecosystem that has balanced the needs of people and nature for over half a century. This necessitates continued vigorous defense of laws like the ESA, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act to maintain public trust and avoid descending further into the political wilderness.
- The Democrats' abundance agenda, focusing on infrastructure like affordable housing, clean energy, and mass transit, seems to overlook the need for safeguarding the nation's natural infrastructure, such as wildlife, forests, wetlands, and farmlands, that are vital for maintaining a balanced environment.
- In the current political climate, where voters strongly support the Endangered Species Act (95 percent), weakening or dismantling such bedrock environmental laws in the name of delivering perceived abundance could lead to public disapproval and further alienation of the Democrats.
- Instead of diminishing regulatory processes and reducing the review process for environmental laws like the ESA, Democrats should emphasize their commitment to preserving the nation's natural abundance and combating climate change to foster support from both sides of the political spectrum.
