Democrat Lawmakers Rely on Handing Out Welfare to Win 2022 Midterms

Democrat lawmakers on Tuesday suggested they are relying on expensive federal welfare handouts to home districts from Biden’s stalled tax and spend agenda to win the 2022 midterm elections.

“It’s one that we shoot ourselves in the foot if we don’t pass it,” Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA) told Politico, referencing Biden’s two-track agenda of passing nearly $5 trillion worth of so-called “human infrastructure” full of welfare spending.

When asked about the urgency of passing a welfare measure before the 2022 midterms, Vargas said, “I think it’s on everybody’s minds, this is the last best chance to pass something big.”

President Joe Biden’s proposed “human infrastructure” includes expensive welfare items such as child care, paid leave, health care, global warming, college tuition, subsidized housing, and Medicare expansion to offer dental, vision, and hearing benefits.

“Passing both infrastructure and reconciliation are absolutely critical to Democrats maintaining a majority in the House and potentially in the Senate,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) explained about the importance of giving away welfare in order to win the 2022 midterms. “And then that is directly related to the success of Biden’s first term as president.”

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) told Politico the welfare spending is an important factor in propping up Biden’s credibility as president.

“I’m sure there are some who are thinking the obvious, which is, we can’t do anything to damage the president. Because in so doing, we damage our chances of defending the majority,” Cleaver said, suggesting that Biden’s proposed legislation is needed to win the midterms.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who argued earlier in her career she is part native American, believes that the welfare spending matters more to her than the massive price tag of the legislation during inflation.

“Democrats have talked for a very long time about child care, health care and fighting back against the climate crisis,” Warren said. “We made promises. We need to keep our promises.”

But Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) has warned time is running out to pass a welfare measure than Democrats can tout to their constituents. “The issues are urgent. We need to get it done as quickly as possible,” said Warnock, who faces a tough reelection campaign in 2022.

“It’s taking longer than we’d hoped but we’ll get it done. … For the sake of people in my state, the 640,000 Georgians who are in the Medicaid gap, I want to get this done as quickly as possible,” he said regarding expanding welfare handouts to win in 2022.

Despite former President Barack Obama passing Obamacare, a Democrat legislative accomplishment that moved America closer towards socialized medicine, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said more free handouts are need to win 2022.

“What we were left with was very significant health care reform,” she said about Obamacare and the need to increase the welfare spending associated with the privilege of healthcare.

The massive amount of welfare handouts the Democrats are pushing in order to increase their chances in the 2022 midterms is opposed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Republicans, who fear that increasing welfare will make our society more reliant on the federal government.

“I don’t believe that we should turn our society into an entitlement society. I think we should still be a compassionate, rewarding society,” Manchin said in early October.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) suggested Republicans should do a “better job” of explaining how much expensive welfare Biden is proposing.

“We need to do a better job of explaining what’s in the package, because we’ve been watching as spectators to see if they can make it across this high wire that they’re walking on,” said Cornyn.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø