If you have already read my E-mail message, please note that the text below is a repeat of that message. Please go to the right and complete your donation form to: help all Americans to prosper, help all Americans in need, help others including Ukrainians, help save our Democracy, and help save our Planet.
For all of you who donated in November using one or more of my three ActBlue Fundraiser Forms that made it really easy to fund 34 Democratic close campaign races (for US Senators, US House members, and State Governor positions: I say thank you, job well done. It’s clear to me, that our combined donations and the efforts of democratic voters all across the country to get out and vote, yielded the fantastic democratic wins we observed. You should thank yourselves as well.
And talking about “close races”, have you guys been following the still close Georgia Senate race between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker? The final count from Nov 8 shows Warnock at 49.44% to Walker at 48.49% and the run-off is in Georgia on Dec 6, just 7 days away.
As you probably know, the Nov 8 election resulted in the Democrats having control of 50 Senate seats and the Republicans having control of 49 Senate seats (50/49 Senate). After the run-off, the full Senate will be either a 51/49 Senate (with Warnock winning) or a 50/50 Senate (with Walker winning).
I believe, many of you agree that we need good new Democratic legislation to address the following Democratic/Republican controversial issues (“Democratic wants”):
a) voters’ rights
b) free and fair election laws
c) women’s rights
d) free choice for abortion
e) gun control laws
f) Ukraine support
g) economic policy
h) immigration policy
i) citizen freedoms
j) climate change mitigation
k) environmental issues
and more.
If so...then now is probably the time to make one more 2022 election donation.
Below are some of my thoughts, about why your help in electing Raphael Warnock to the 2023 Senate is so important.
Reason #1 to Support Sen. Warnock’s Run-Off Campaign
The Senate Filibuster Rule
At this point in US history when the US voters and US legislators (law makers) are so highly polarized they tend to vote in blocks. Meaning that most Democratic voters and legislators vote one way and most Republican voters and legislators vote the opposite way, and there is little overlap or bipartisan voting. Unfortunately, most votes in the US Senate require a 60 vote threshold (or a 60/40 super-majority) to pass, in accordance with the “filibuster rule”. This means, most bills that are controversial with respect to Democrats and Republicans (like the “Democratic wants” listed as items a) thru k) above) will never pass, like for years, decades or generations, unless the filibuster rule is repealed or modified.
From a Democratic point of view in 2022, the only good thing about the filibuster rule is that it does not apply to itself. It is a Senate rule, and as such, it can be repealed, modified, or reinstated by a simple Senate majority.
If Walker wins the run-off it will be a 50/50 Senate with Democratic VP Harris holding a tie breaking vote. If Warnock wins, it will be a 51/49 Senate (which is better). If the Senate Democrats could get all their members (in either a 50/50 or 51/49 Senate) to vote together to either repeal or modify the filibuster it would be a country changing accomplishment. In the case of a filibuster repeal, only a simple majority would be required to pass most subsequent Senate legislation. In the case of a filibuster specific modification, a simple majority would be required to pass a specific bill or type of bill (for example Bill S.2747 or any “voting rights bill”). However since Jan 20, 2021, Democratic Senators Sinema (AZ) and Manchin (WV) (and all current Republican Senators) have refused to support the rest of the Democrats in changing the status of the filibuster rule.
An important positive point here. A Warnock 51/49 2023 Senate is just one vote away from repealing or modifying the current filibuster rule. It’s a lot more likely that one additional Senator could be persuaded to repeal/modify the filibuster rule, rather than two, which would be the case for a Walker 50/50 Senate. A Warnock vote could really help here.
An important negative point here. So far, due to the filibuster, no Biden Administration federal legislation has been passed to stop “out of control” Republican states from restricting voters rights and manipulating election rules, i.e. planning to cheat on future elections. (Originating our fears, before Nov 8, of losing our Democracy). A Warnock vote could really help here.
Reason #2 to Support Sen. Warnock’s Run-Off Campaign
Senate Legislation That Can be Passed Via Simple Senate Majority Rules
Most (but not all) Senate legislation is subject to the 60 vote filibuster rule. The most common legislation that is not subject to the filibuster rule is listed below:
Budget Reconciliation Bills, which can deal with spending, revenue, and the federal debt-limit, are passed with a simple Senate majority. A Warnock vote could really help here.
Judicial Confirmation Votes, for lower court and the Supreme Court justices are passed with a simple Senate majority. A Warnock vote could really help here.
Reason #3 to Support Sen. Warnock’s Run-Off Campaign
Democratic Senate Legislation That Can Be Passed Despite the Filibuster Rule
Even though the country and the Senate are highly politically polarized, there are still some Democratically proposed Senate bills that that have passed (within the last several years ) with the 60 vote threshold with both Democratic and Republican support. Most notably Covid -19 related bills and Ukraine Aid bills. Some of these barely squeaked by with the minimum of 60 votes. In these cases, every single Democratic Senate vote was needed to get these important bills passed. A Warnock vote could really help here.
Reason #4 to Support Sen. Warnock’s Run-Off Campaign
Donating to Sen. Warnock is “The Best Potential Political Bang For the Buck”
Democratic legislation that a) is designed solve a problem and help Americans, b) requires funding, and c) gets passed by the House and the Senate and is then signed by the President, will typically receive millions of dollars in funding from the US Treasury to meet the needs of the bill. If you were to donate X dollars to the Warnock run-off campaign and he were to win, you (and others) will have significantly increased the chance of such a Democratic bill being passed and “well funded” by the US government. On the flip side, suppose that instead of donating to the Warnock run-off campaign, you made your X dollar donation directly to a non-government organization, which is attempting to solve the same problem. In this case, the result is just X donor dollars applied to solving the problem, not millions of government dollars. (Get my point?) Warnock is “the best potential political bang for the buck” !!