It's Election Day so let's just cut to the chase so you can get out there and VOTE.
Here's why it's crucial to keep the Senate in Democratic hands:
1) FEDERAL JUDICIARY
Since filibuster reform was implemented last year, the pace of confirmation of judicial appointments has expedited significantly. President Obama's nominees for federal judgeships have been confirmed at a much higher rate in recent years. The pace of confirmation of his nominees has outstripped that of George W. Bush's nominees and Democratic-appointed judges make up an increasingly large proportion of the federal judiciary. These Obama nominees are an incredibly diverse set and they're supremely qualified.
If the GOP retakes the Senate, the pace of these confirmations is sure to slow. They could even come to a grinding halt. If anything, it could mean that President Obama will have to appoint individuals friendly to GOP senators -- like Michael Boggs -- and those candidates usually are not terrific, to say the least. Republicans have campaigned on restoring the 60-vote rule for judicial confirmations. As Brian Beutler noted at The New Republic, it's very likely the GOP might keep the vote threshold there. It makes sense because if they kept it at 51, it would be far easier for the president to find a handful of GOP senators, combined with all of the Democrats, than it would be for him to find roughly 11-12 Republicans for a 60-vote confirmation. If the Democrats kept control of the Senate, the process of getting solid, progressive judicial nominees confirmed would be much easier.
2) EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS
In the federal government, various executive agencies still have vacancies. The most glaring include the fact that there is no Surgeon General, no chief of the civil rights division of the DOJ, and nobody in several top-level positions at the DHS. It's true that these vacancies have persisted in recent months in a Democratic Senate. However, the number of vacancies would certainly either grow, or be filled by less progressive nominees, if the Republicans regained control of the Senate. Further, there are looming fights like the one for who will be President Obama's next Attorney General and, certainly for getting someone akin to Eric Holder confirmed, it's crucial that Democrats keep control of the Senate.
3) LEGISLATION
If the GOP retakes the Senate, they will be tempted to take up legislation that could do great harm to the country and could pass the House. This legislation would include measures to try to gut entitlements, repeal elements of (or all of) the Affordable Care Act, gut the CFPB or deregulate sectors of the financial industry. It's true that President Obama would veto much of this legislation but as one top Democratic strategist told The Atlantic recently, "it's what Obama will agree to that scares me." Though Obama is notably less friendly to GOP policy aims than former President Bill Clinton was during his tenure, President Obama has still indicated openness to some bad Republican-endorsed policy ideas. He could feel the pressure to compromise and accept some of those ideas if a GOP Senate and GOP House passed them in the form of legislation.
These ideas include chained CPI (a Social Security benefit cut) and, for a fleeting moment in the summer of 2011, he flirted with raising the retirement age for Medicare -- both of which are measures that would financially hurt millions of seniors who are reliant on these programs to stay above the poverty line or make ends meet. One could foresee a scenario in which the Republican-held Congress - helped by conservative Democrats in both chambers - puts pressure on Obama to act on measures like these. A strong majority in both chambers could even vote for more benign but still consequential policy changes that, while ostensibly centrist, would do great harm. These policies could include weakening elements of Dodd-Frank to please the interests of Wall Street, enacting sanctions on Iran at the wrong time like the moment of the success of a deal and against the advice of foreign policy experts and diplomats, and repealing the reliable revenue source that is the medical device tax of Obamacare. If a GOP Congress were to pass these policies by large majorities, they could either overcome a veto or Obama would feel pressure to potentially sign some of them. These are risks progressives ought not to take so it's critical to keep the Democrats in charge of the Senate.
Here's why it's critical to reelect Congressman Cartwright:
FULL DISCLOSURE: I interned for Rep. Cartwright in his congressional office in Washington, D.C. from January-May 2013. This endorsement is not intended to speak on his behalf or on behalf of his campaign. These are my own views and mine entirely.
In his first two years in Congress, Matt Cartwright has notably distinguished himself as an influential, impressive, and ingenious member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He has risen above and beyond the call of duty in his service and has been an exceptional leader on the Hill. That's why Govtrack identified Cartwright as a leading House freshman on various measures including cosponsors for his bills, his efforts to cosponsor other members' legislation, and for his lengthy array of introduced legislation. Amid the gridlock and unproductive nature of the GOP House, Cartwright has made a name for himself as a legislator who proposes sensible legislation and who can accomplish tangible results.
In fact, his efforts even secured wage increases for federal workers, including those at Tobyhanna Army Depot, through the bipartisan budget deal signed into law by President Obama. Further, his lobbying for stronger regulations on the trucking industry, as a means to prevent trucking accidents, led to an executive branch decision to strengthen rules for the industry. On the whole, Cartwright has stood out in Congress as a productive workhorse, no small feat given the multitude of showmen in the House, and one who has stood by his progressive principles but worked across the aisle when necessary on common-sense bills. With regards to his future plans, Cartwright intends to continue advocacy for reforms to strengthen the VA and he indicates he'll continue to help spur economic development in NEPA through the federal grant process and through his efforts to secure passenger rail in Scranton. In his first term, Mr. Cartwright showed he has the capacity and willingness to do good work of that nature so far. He deserves a second term.
Here's why it's crucial to elect Tom Wolf governor:
In his four-year term as governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett has been a spectacular failure. At the outset, Corbett made a fateful decision that ultimately may have determined his fate on this election day: a choice to cut education spending. Governor Corbett likes to hide behind the expiration of federal stimulus funding, from President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to explain the overall cut to aid to education. The fact of the matter is that Corbett made up for the expiration of federal stimulus money in other state agencies, he made a choice that same year to cut business taxes, he firmly decided against an extraction tax on drilling or any other tax for that matter, and he ran on opposing former Governor Rendell's use of Recovery Act money anyway. What is also true is that Pennsylvania had a massive rainy day fund, available for Governor Corbett to utilize to make up for the expiration of stimulus funds, but Corbett ignored it. As state Rep. Phyllis Mundy, D-Kingston, said on the House floor at the time, it is the equivalent of "telling a starving child, 'we have milk and cereal to feed you but we're just going to let you starve instead.'" Education is not the only arena in which Corbett has stumbled. On a range of issues -- from women's rights ("close your eyes," he said on transvaginal ultrasounds) to gay marriage ("it's like brother and sister") to voter ID ("it will allow Romney to win PA," said the GOP House leader) to unemployment (suggesting the jobless are on drugs) to lottery privatization (struck down by the attorney general) and Penn State (accusations of being soft as AG on Sandusky) -- Corbett has been wildly offensive, off base, and out of tune with Pennsylvanians.
This important policy issue is probably the most important reason to vote for Tom Wolf. He's vowed to undo Corbett's cuts to education. The financing mechanisms his proposal relies upon to undo those cuts include an extraction tax, which could even pass the GOP-controlled state legislature, and a progressive income tax that would bring tax relief to middle-income and low-income Pennsylvanians but ask wealthier Pennsylvanians to pay more. Beyond the issue of education, Wolf has vowed to repeal Corbett's horrid cuts to state anti-poverty programs; those cuts have financially pulled the rug out from under thousands of Pennsylvanians struggling in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Wolf has also pledged to fight for the expansion of Medicaid, increasing the minimum wage, and strengthening environmental policy to tackle climate change. These are issues Gov. Corbett has either ignored or been subpar on in his time in office. I voted for Tom Wolf because he would represent a fresh change from Corbett's failed policies and his policies would be sound, progressive, and impressive. He deserves to win.
Here's why it's critical to elect Eileen Cipriani state representative:
FULL DISCLOSURE: I've volunteered for Eileen throughout this election year. I also worked with her in various capacities for State Rep. Phyllis Mundy. This post is not intended to speak on Eileen's behalf or on behalf of her campaign.
Throughout her admirable career in public service in NEPA, Eileen Cipriani has demonstrated a thorough understanding of public policy issues, a strong work ethic, and a genuine concern for the interests of middle-income and low-income citizens of the region. These aspects of Eileen's career are evident in her work as president of the West Wyoming borough council, where she tackled corruption and pulled the borough out of a financial crisis, and in her capacity as a legislative aide to Rep. Mundy. This experience has culminated in the crafting of a solid policy platform for her campaign for state representative. She's running on making sure we raise the minimum wage, expand Medicaid, repeal property taxes, enact an extraction tax, and undo Governor Corbett's cuts to education and various vital state agencies. I voted for Eileen because her wealth of knowledge of and experience with tackling important policy issues, combined with her strong policy prescriptions, make her the obvious choice. She would be an excellent successor to the impeccable retiring incumbent, Rep. Mundy, who has endorsed Eileen.
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