The Debt Ceiling Fight and 2024

The looming threat of a completely unnecessary financial crisis – or deep cuts for struggling families – is one more reason why MVP is targeting every competitive Presidential, Senate and House election in 2024. We need to get these economic hostage-takers out of office. Their dangerous behavior will motivate voters and ought to give us a huge opportunity to clean House in 2024. Our local partners are already working hard to hold them accountable in their districts – from Working Families in New York to Communities for a New California (NY and CA alone have ten vulnerable GOP House seats) and many more in between. Remember, in 2022 we lost the House by just 6,683 votes across five districts. This is a fixable problem. Winning back the House is a good investment on multiple levels – and it starts with holding vulnerable GOP House members accountable in their districts this summer – see below.

Here is the scenario that worries us: MAGA Republicans force more economic austerity and pain. We have a long hot summer. Support dampens even more for a Biden-Harris ticket. The Republican base is fired up and seeking revenge. Our base is not as motivated. Next November, we lose by a few thousand votes in a few key states. And then Blam! We find ourselves back in the nightmare with Trump and a MAGA trifecta in Congress – but much worse this time. Clarence Thomas retires and is replaced by a 45-year-old. And then we’re stuck. Not only in a right-wing quasi-autocracy for the next four years, but with an anti-choice, climate-denying SCOTUS for the next three decades. There goes our kids’ future.

No matter what happens over the next 18 months, Biden and the Democrats are really going to need help from MVP partners. It’s gonna take a lot to inspire the Democratic base to turn out again in record numbers like we did in 2020. Even in a best case scenario, enthusiasm is not a word anyone would associate with Biden-Harris in 2024. In short: Biden and Harris aren’t going to elect themselves. You know who is going to have to generate the enthusiasm to elect Biden and Harris and win a Democratic trifecta next fall?

We are!

MVP and our partners, with our tens of thousands of local trusted messengers, paid organizers and super volunteers on the ground every day doing the work.

While MVP and our local partners lay the groundwork to secure a Democratic trifecta in 2024, (and prevent a MAGA trifecta), we are building power and winning on local issues across the country – from abortion rights to climate and democracy reform.

There are a lot of things in the 2024 election that are outside our control. But there are an enormous number of things that we actually do have significant influence over. With patient, consistent investment, local organizing can be a key difference maker – from policy in states like Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Ohio – to determining control of multi-trillion dollar budgets and getting to choose the leadership of the global superpower we call home.

On a deeper level, we’re not just here to help win the next election (although we absolutely must do that!). As we all know, elections are a means to an end. MVP is playing a longer, deeper game. What we’re really doing is way bigger than the Biden-Trump horse race. We’re fighting to win a Dem trifecta not just to stop bad things. But to unlock great things! The next 18 months is an incredible opportunity to take a step toward a more beautiful, sustainable, and just world that our bodies need and our hearts yearn for.

If you are a consistent partner and investor in MVP’s strategy, we can’t thank you enough. If you have fallen off and you want to climb back on, there couldn’t be a better time to become an MVP monthly sustainer (go to the donation page and select “Yes, Count Me In!” under “Make it Monthly!”) – or get more involved as an MVP volunteer.