U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin) is aware of a factor or two about backlash to progressivism.
In his seven years on the Austin Metropolis Council, insurance policies that progressives championed to chop police funding and decriminalize homelessness have been so politically unpopular, voters in one in all Texas’ most liberal cities overwhelmingly supported backtracking on each concepts. Republicans throughout the state campaigned in opposition to the concept of a “defund the police” motion, whereas Austin was up as a cautionary story of Democratic management.
As nationwide Democrats now discover themselves in the same place — reeling from the rejection of a social agenda that even a number of the celebration’s most loyal voting blocs deemed out of contact within the Nov. 5 election — classes realized from Casar’s political upbringing in vibrant purple Texas will assist form their path ahead in Republican-controlled Washington D.C.
On Wednesday, the Congressional Progressive Caucus will elect a brand new chair to exchange U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), who termed-out after six years within the function.
Casar, who now represents south Austin and most of downtown San Antonio in Congress, is working unopposed for the place — making him the primary chair in caucus historical past to return from a purple state.
“Being a progressive in Texas positively provides me a unique sort of perspective than progressives that come from blue states with sympathetic governors,” Casar stated in a Nov. 26 interview with the San Antonio Report. “I do know that the price of [President-elect Donald] Trump being elected is that [Gov.] Greg Abbott’s going to maintain shoveling cash out of our faculties and into extra jail camps on the border. I do know that Kamala Harris shedding signifies that we’re going to have extra girls die in our hospital beds on this state.”
“I believe that simply actually ramps up the urgency for me, and it places me able to say, ‘Look, I’m a progressive’s progressive, and we will’t preserve shedding as a Democratic Occasion.’”
When lawmakers return to work in January, Republicans who spent super assets attacking Democrats over social points final election cycle is not going to solely have management of the White Home, however they’ll assume a majority within the U.S. Senate and retain energy within the U.S. Home.
The practically 100-member Progressive Caucus makes up one of many largest voting blocs on Capitol Hill, and can play a significant function in figuring out how and when Democrats battle again when Trump returns to energy.
To Casar, meaning pushing his celebration to refocus across the financial points he says the vast majority of voters agree with them on.
On the identical time, they should keep away from political landmines whereas pushing again in opposition to GOP assaults on social points that voters in final month’s election disagreed with them on, however are nonetheless core to their values.
“The Progressive Caucus ought to be sure that the Democratic Occasion, one, nonetheless holds the middle of the nation, and two, stands up in opposition to oppression and injustice,” Casar stated of his method.
“Proper now, [we have] this entire finger-pointing argument, [where] some persons are saying you’ll be able to solely do one of many two,” he stated. “Our nation is in actual hassle if we will’t determine the way to do each.”
A lesson in politics
Casar’s perspective comes as his personal private politics have additionally undergone some rebranding lately.
After faculty, the Houston native moved to Austin, was energetic within the Democratic Socialists of America and began his profession as a labor organizer representing development staff. He launched his first council marketing campaign at age 24, to signify one of many underserved elements of town.
Recent off the creation of single-member districts, he got here into workplace with a category of council members who introduced an unapologetically progressive agenda.
However Casar rapidly realized there’s a distinction between garnering sufficient political help on your concepts, and ensuring the general public has purchased into main coverage priorities.
In 2019, the council voted to ease the principles on public tenting and panhandling — a transfer supported by housing advocates who stated the principles created an unfair monetary burden and successfully criminalizes being homeless.
“I do know that altering these ordinances might be unpopular with some individuals,” Casar stated on the time. “I’m not attempting to downplay the challenges that we’re going to face, however we will tackle these challenges in a greater method.”
Within the wake of George Floyd’s killing, which spurred heated disputes between regulation enforcement and protestors each in Austin and throughout the nation, Casar spearheaded a plan to redirect a 3rd of town’s police price range to fund different social applications.
Because the COVID-19 pandemic set in, nonetheless, backlash in opposition to each concepts far exceeded Casar’s expectations.
Town voted to reinstate its public tenting ban. In response to an understaffed police division, its new mayor partnered with Texas GOP leaders to have state troopers patrol the streets. Republican lawmakers handed legal guidelines banning public tenting statewide and punishing cities that attempt to scale back their police budgets.
Wanting again, Casar stated Republicans exploited the results of the pandemic, and he referred to as Austin’s expanded housing entry and up to date lower in lease costs a few of his biggest accomplishments.
But the expertise spurred a vital shift for an bold younger political chief, who has now already personally lived the Democratic Occasion’s excruciating reckoning over whether or not to shelve principals they imagine in, however noticed used in opposition to them with terrifying effectiveness within the November election.
“I’ve realized what a political beating seems like, and I don’t need the Democratic Occasion to take one other political beating like we simply did this 12 months,” Casar stated.
“…The job of these of us who’re attempting to assist and inform the reality, is to be sure that our insurance policies, even once they’re proper, are additionally majoritarian, and likewise deliver many of the metropolis or many of the nation together with us.”
A political reboot
When U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) moved districts in 2022, Casar acquired an opportunity to check his new method.
Casar stated he refocused his message round lowering company value gouging and taxing billionaires. Across the identical time, he additionally dropped his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America.
To the dismay of some San Antonio enterprise leaders, the champion of controversial Austin insurance policies, superior from a area of Democrats, profitable outright within the major to signify a deep blue district.
“We have been scared to demise,” stated Jeff Webster, President and CEO of the Higher San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, who has since labored carefully with Casar on a lot of native points that wanted federal assist. “We’re not going to agree on a regular basis… however he’s been an awesome accomplice.”
As he assumes a brand new function in D.C., Casar believes he’s discovered a mannequin for navigating a troublesome panorama.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has already declared that Congress’ first trans member shouldn’t be capable of use the toilet of her alternative. Different lawmakers are wanting to make good on Trump’s plans to deport asylum-seeking migrants who arrived beneath the Biden administration.
“Those that steered that Democrats ought to simply merely again off of these points, that’s simply not reasonable,” Casar stated. “One, as a result of we stand for the civil rights of all individuals. However two, the present iteration of the Republican Occasion goes to maintain on choosing on susceptible individuals, and so Democrats are going to have to reply.”
“However we should always acknowledge that there’s persuading to do within the nation, and go and work on determining what the insurance policies are and what the messages are that may deliver extra individuals together with us.”
A Bernie-inspired chief
On one other of the GOP’s prime points, tax reform, Casar thinks Democrats have a ripe alternative to play offense.
“I believe progressives’ first check might be, can we maintain your complete Democratic Caucus collectively in opposition to a billionaire tax rip-off?” Casar stated.
“The overwhelming majority of the nation is with the Democrats on taxing billionaires, relatively than giving billionaires a tax lower,” Casar stated. “We, the Democratic Occasion, want to completely lean in on saying we’re not going to provide Trump a penny of cash to provide billionaires a tax break.”
Like his political mentor, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Casar has zeroed in on the nation’s billionaires, with a specific curiosity in a single whose arrange store in his district.
Hours after profitable his first Congressional race, Casar was calling for the Division of Labor to research security violations at Musk’s Tesla manufacturing unit simply outdoors of Austin — one thing he stated was an instantaneous crowd-pleaser even with conservative constituents.
Quick ahead to 2024, Musk spent an estimated $200 million serving to elect Trump.
Whereas Musk is taking up a brand new White Home function geared toward authorities effectivity, one in all his largest critics, gears as much as make him the middle of Democrats’ opposition efforts.
“[Democrats need to] shift our focus away from being offended by what Trump says, and make it actually clear to the American individuals what Trump does to make your financial life tougher,” he stated. “On the finish of those two years, I believe Democrats can have been profitable politically if the on a regular basis particular person is aware of that Trump tried to assist his associates, like Elon Musk, whereas Democrats have been attempting that can assist you.”
