Economic Populism

Floor Speech

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Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Deluzio for bringing us together and helping us have an important conversation about how we restore the mantle of fighting for working people.

I was born and raised in the most patriotic town in the country, Bristol, Rhode Island. We have the oldest and longest running Fourth of July celebration in the country. I learned from a young age to be patriotic, but I also learned that patriotism is not just about parades and parties and barbecues, it is about believing in a country where anything is possible for those who are willing to work hard. I know that because it is my family's story.

At the turn of the last century, my mother's family came to America from Ireland and Poland. My grandfather fought in the Pacific then came home and worked in a factory that made airplane parts. His wife, my grandmother, worked in a department store. Their jobs weren't glamorous. They weren't anything special, but they earned enough to buy a house, to raise four kids, and to build a stable, middle-class life.

My father's side of the family had a similar story. They came from Eastern Europe and settled in New York City. My great-grandfather got involved in labor organizing, and my grandfather was a bookkeeper at a company that sold fruit.

They all came of age during the New Deal era, and they voted Democrat because they knew that the Democratic Party had the backs of working people.

Then my parents met, and they started a small business together. They were successful, and now here I am in the United States Congress thanks to the hard work of the generations that came before me.

Today, in Rhode Island, I meet working people every day who remind me of my grandparents: factory workers, house cleaners, nurses, kitchen workers. They are grinding out a living, believing that if they work hard and do the right thing that better days lie ahead.

The more I hear from the working people I represent, they are frustrated with politics. They don't think either party represents them. They are working harder than ever and are having a hard time paying their bills. They certainly can't afford to save money.

They see billionaires on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley get richer while they can't afford everything on their grocery list. They see Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, gleefully cutting services for seniors and veterans while Donald Trump pushes yet another tax cut for the very rich.

They see a Republican Party hell-bent on taking away people's healthcare and a Democratic Party that means well but tries to be all things to all people and too often fails to deliver.

Our grandparents knew a Democratic Party that not only had good intentions but that knew how to get things done. The working people I represent don't want a handout, but they do expect a level playing field and a fair shot, and they want a Democratic Party with a real plan.

What does that look like? It looks like making billionaires like Elon Musk pay their fair share so that we can give tax relief to the middle class. It looks like passing the PRO Act so that workers in retail and fast food can join a union and earn a ticket to the middle class like my grandfather did in his factory. It looks like universal preschool and affordable childcare, not just because it is good for kids, but because it helps parents work and build their savings. It means passing my bill to guarantee 10 days of paid vacation for all workers because Americans work hard, and they deserve to take some time off every once in a while and enjoy their lives without losing their jobs or their income.

For too long the system in this town has been rigged for the wealthy and well-connected, but that does not have to be our future. There is a new generation rising, people who are tired of being left behind and are ready for something better.

We don't need the Democratic Party to be all things to all people. We just need to reclaim our position as the party for working people. That work begins now, and I thank my colleagues who are here tonight who get it. I thank Representative Deluzio for bringing us together. I am ready to roll up my sleeves alongside of you.

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