As I have argued before, passing government programs that address the needs of ordinary Americans is critical to restoring faith in our democratic institutions. This could be a big week on this front. Politico is reporting that Nancy Pelosi has laid down a new edict on Build Back Better: “No Thanksgiving break until the House passes the bill.” Much will turn on the CBO estimates, which are expected by Friday—and disputes over those numbers.

Getting things done is good for democracy, but also potentially for both political parties. A new Global Strategy Group memo concludes that the eight “key Senate races can be won or lost on paid leave.”

“Headed into 2022, . . . paid leave is the only policy a majority of voters from every party support aside from allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices; with 80 percent of voters overall supporting paid leave for workers with a serious illness (49% strongly support), 76 percent supporting paid leave for workers caring for a seriously ill family member (45% strongly support), and 72 percent supporting paid leave for workers caring for a new child (45% strongly support).

Additionally, suburban women – a must-win audience in the wake of Virginia’s elections – strongly support paid medical leave (57% strong support) more than any other policy on the table, including allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices (56%), providing universal pre-K (45%), and extending the Child Tax Credit (33%).”