Democrats: Govern like you want the trifecta

That means remembering what got you elected

Govern like you want this. (Image credit Shutterstock)

Last Tuesday’s election delivered a mandate for the Democratic Party. What comes next matters — not just for the next election (which is already underway) but for the next decade.

The moves they make with their newfound power can either lead to an era of progressive revival, or yet another return to governance by wannabe authoritarians.

The new Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2027. Here’s what they need to do:

Affordability… but don’t get cute

It’s clearly the top issue for voters, and for good reason. Daily goods cost too much. Core items such as housing are too out of reach. It just shouldn’t be this hard.

There’s a way to be responsive to this with sound policy — such as moving expeditiously to end the war in Iran, rolling back Trump’s tariff regime, and preempting the exponential increases that millions are already seeing in their monthly health care premiums. Democrats should prioritize action on all of the aforementioned.

But they should be straightforward about the levers available to bring costs down. Republicans’ empty gesture toward affordability was to remove various populations from paying income taxes, but there’s no evidence it moved a single vote. “No tax on tips” was expected to create a red wave in Nevada — a state with the highest share of tipped workers — but those voters just elected a full slate of Democratic representatives to Congress.

Democrats shouldn’t try to replicate any part of this disastrous policy. Paying taxes is not punishment; it’s how we fund a robust safety net, pave roads, pay cops, and make a society that gives back. Level with the American people about why costs are high and pursue every sound policy that could lower them — but don’t over-index on cute workarounds. The voters have a damn good BS detector.

Clear out the barn. Take some deals

The best thing this new Democratic-controlled Congress can do is to set the next Democratic president up for success. Already there are efforts to do that with the permitting reform legislation currently up for consideration.

Starting in January, there will be an urge — especially among potential 2028 candidates currently in Congress — to simply reject anything that Trump wants to do. This is misguided.

Voters aren’t looking for “bipartisanship” or empty policy victories. They are eager to see that their government hears them and can be responsive to the massive issues confronting our country. Democrats should use this moment to restore faith in government and net some major wins that Trump will be eager to associate himself with.

Though Democrats may be loath to do it, I think the next two years are ripe for a comprehensive immigration agreement. If Trump offers certainty for DREAMers and other long-time residents of the country who haven’t committed crimes in exchange for one of his preferred actions on asylum or border policy, Democrats should take that deal. Yes, they should use this new power to conduct as much oversight of ICE as possible, but Republicans also did a very good job of ensuring that the agency will be funded through the end of Trump’s term.

Both parties would also be wise to shut off the ticking fiscal time bomb that is the debt ceiling. This coming Congress should take up a legislative proposal that has been given support from both congressional Democrats and Trump, who called the debt ceiling an economic catastrophe. Let’s not pass this own-goal on to any other president.

There are likely many other areas where there may not be unanimity within the Democratic caucus, but enough of a workable contingent (including the White House) to pass legislation. The question Democrats should constantly consider is whether a particular legislative action will position a future Democratic trifecta for success or have its hands tied.

Refine the Democratic agenda

The biggest mistake Democrats could make with this new power is to misread the mandate the American people have given them. The electorate is crying out for change. But change is different from revolution. This isn’t about being cautious. It’s about being ruthlessly aware of why voters threw the bums out. “Lower the cost of my health care” is not a mandate to enact single-payer health insurance, as some are arguing. It is a mandate to lower the cost of health care.

Democrats will be pushed by interest groups to support a laundry list of demands: codifying abortion rights, protecting the right to organize, holding the Supreme Court accountable, protecting the rights of LGBTQ people, democracy reform, and everything in between. While I fervently support the party’s priorities, they did not decide the election.

The party’s brand has rebounded, but voters still regard the Blue Team warily. As Searchlight polling has found, the candidates who performed the best this election cycle were also the ones who distinguished themselves from the party.

So instead of taking a bunch of performative votes meant to make the party faithful feel good or satisfy interest group scorecards, Democrats should focus on the issues that unite the caucus and will directly respond to their electoral mandate. Then, behind the scenes, they can use the next two years to refine their broader agenda.

What does a comprehensive voting rights bill look like in the aftermath of the Callais decision that effectively cemented political and racial gerrymandering?

Is the Equality Act, as currently written, the best means of locking in long-overdue protections for the LGBTQ community?

Should we have a public intra-party food fight on a health care proposal that won’t become law any time soon, or should thought leaders work out a real framework that’s ready for a Democratic trifecta to move on in 2029?

Democrats should plot and plan, not pulverize each other.

Reform the filibuster. Yes, now.

There’s already chatter about a reconciliation bill to push forward sweeping policy change. Reconciliation is not how governing was supposed to work. It’s become the de facto means of governance because the Senate’s rules have routinely blocked liberal priorities by way of the filibuster. And as the rapid dismantling of the Inflation Reduction Act demonstrated, the budget reconciliation process does not produce durable change.

Instead of wasting weeks (or months) haggling over arcane budgetary procedure, adopting the same fuzzy math and skewed scoring that Republicans have mastered, and contorting good policy to fit through a process that was never supposed to be used for substantive policy changes, Democrats should be bold. The filibuster stands in the way of every piece of progressive policy that a unified Democratic government would ever hope to achieve. They should reform it.

And yes, Democrats should have this fight now. What better way to shake off a reputation for being “weak” in the eyes of voters than to push for a bold change meant to make government work. Force Donald Trump to veto bills that will raise the minimum wage, make primary care free, build clean (and cheap) energy faster, lower the price of groceries, make housing more abundant, and so forth. You build the case now that Democrats are fighting for people and VOILÁ, you have a ready-made appeal for 2028: give Democrats FULL control, and they will finish the fight.

I understand that some Democrats are squeamish about reforming the filibuster, especially while Donald Trump is president. I get the fears of reprisal for when Republicans seize power and are unbound by the filibuster’s constraints. But look around. The theoretical “bad stuff” is already happening, and Democrats continue to move with one hand tied behind their backs when given the proactive opportunity to govern. The party can’t continue to be paralyzed by fear. That’s an abdication of the responsibility to actually do good when we can.

Project Vision 2029.

The best thing that Democrats can do in the next two years is set a future Democratic trifecta up for success: this means showing the public that the party is focused on popular policies and working with Trump to sign laws that will make it easier for a future Democratic administration to govern.

Yes, there will be twists and turns and a heated presidential primary calendar. But rarely has a political party been given such an opportunity to both move proactively and plan for what comes next. Democrats should take it.