Congressional candidate Jamaal Bowman on Monday expressed optimism that progressive Democrats could influence former Vice President Joe Biden’s policies, citing his positions on environmental issues as an example.
Asked in a HillTV interview how the party’s left wing would fit in under a Biden administration, Bowman responded “I think there has to be a healthy tension, and I think it’s our job to continue to push a progressive agenda, and continue to push Joe Biden, [Sen.] Kamala Harris [D-Calif.] and others to the left as much as possible.”
“I’m excited and enthusiastic about the Biden-Sanders coalition that forced Biden to focus much more on environmental justice than he previously was, I’m happy to hear that Vice President Biden is focusing on universal child care as a part of his platform,” Bowman continued.
“I think the DNC platform and the Democratic platform overall has moved to the left. Obviously we have to continue the work there and I think the healthy tension is going to continue to move us in that direction because bottom line, the country is demanding something different,” he added. “The country supports universal health care, the country supports environmental justice and criminal justice reform and an end to police brutality and investing in public health in a way that’s different from investing in more policing. So the country is speaking, and the Democrats have to listen, and we’ll continue to apply the pressure in the areas it needs to be provided.”
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