I voted for Democrats. If Donald Trump works with them to make medicine and housing more affordable, I will applaud him.
I don’t give a fuck who gets credit. I want people to be able to fill their prescriptions, pay the rent and have something left when the bills are paid. If the president helps get that done, he should get credit for helping get it done.
Democrats have won control of the House and Senate. Their new majorities take over in January, and I’m going to be in their ears about what they do with them. Winning gives them an opportunity to govern. The people who voted for them still need help. [1]
Enjoy the election results. Then please put away the victory speeches. Somebody who is putting off a doctor’s appointment because they can’t afford it has very little use for another round of politicians congratulating themselves.
Start with prescription drugs. Trump’s administration has already said it wants Congress to put its drug-pricing agreements into law. There is something concrete to discuss. Sit down, examine the proposals and work out what would actually lower the amount people pay. [2]
Which medicines would be covered? Who qualifies? What happens if you have insurance, and what happens if you don’t? How long do the savings last? Make the answers clear enough that somebody standing at the pharmacy counter can understand what changes for them.
A press release promising savings is a starting point. I want to see what people are charged. Write protections that can be enforced, explain the costs and fix the holes before congratulating yourselves.
Do the same with housing. Congress already demonstrated that agreement is possible. The housing legislation that became the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed its final House vote 358–32, with 166 Republicans and 191 Democrats voting yes, along with one independent. It became law in July. [3] [4]
Build on that work. Find out which provisions are helping homes get built and which are getting stuck. Work with communities on the next steps. Keep asking whether the homes being added are homes people can actually afford. Passing a law creates responsibilities after the cameras leave, too.
Trump does not have to become a Democrat to cooperate with Democrats. He can support a useful bill while they argue with him about something else. His support could also make it easier for some Republicans to vote for it. Give them a serious proposal worth supporting.
That means reading the whole bill. Explain how it is paid for and who benefits. If a compromise helps one group by quietly taking something essential from another, account for that before calling it a victory. Putting both parties’ names on a bad deal doesn’t make it good.
I want bills written to become law. Negotiate in good faith. If a bill gets through Congress and Trump vetoes it, explain exactly what he rejected. If senators block a vote, show people what was in the bill and who stopped it. Keep the record clear enough that voters can judge the decision.
But if he is willing to sign something that helps, take the win for the people who need it. Don’t turn down relief today because you would prefer to run against the problem in 2028.
The Senate will still be difficult. Ending a filibuster on most legislation generally takes 60 votes. A majority does not make every obstacle disappear. I want Democrats looking for votes and negotiating useful bills before making another fight over the filibuster or the size of the Supreme Court the center of their agenda. [5]
They also have oversight responsibilities. Investigate credible misconduct. Account for how public money was spent. Follow the evidence in the Epstein records wherever it leads, while protecting survivors. Apply the same standard when a Democrat’s name comes up.
I don’t want impeachment treated as the purpose of the next Congress. If evidence establishes grounds for constitutional action, Congress has to face that honestly. It also has to keep working on the problems people elected it to address. Investigating wrongdoing and making healthcare more affordable can happen during the same two years.
Push for a durable end to the war with Iran and explain what that will require. Work on the costs families are struggling with. Tell people what Congress can change, what requires the president and what will take longer. If something fails, explain why and work on the next useful step.
We’ve seen Democrats win Congress during a Republican presidency and gain more ground two years later. They won 233 House seats in 2006 and 257 in 2008, when Barack Obama won the presidency. The financial crisis was also part of that history. Nobody can promise that governing well now guarantees a landslide in 2028. [6] [7]
I do think Democrats can give people a reason to trust them with more responsibility. Show them work they can examine and results they can feel. Let someone say their medication costs less, or that they finally found a place they can afford, and know government helped make it possible.
I want that badly enough to applaud a president I’ve criticized when he helps accomplish it. I can keep asking hard questions about his conduct and acknowledge a good decision. I expect Democrats to be capable of that, too.
Some of the people who filled Trump’s rallies are struggling to afford the same things as people who voted against him. I want their lives to get better. They shouldn’t have to change their vote before someone in Washington cares whether they can afford a home or see a doctor.
Trump could still use these two years to do something substantial for them and the rest of us. If he reaches across the aisle to make that happen, it would be a hell of a thing. Democrats should be ready to work with him.
Get people some help. I’ll be happy to applaud.
EDW•
