Pramila Jayapal on Bidens Fragile Coalition

Published: Jan. 22, 2024, 4 p.m.

Pramila Jayapal, a Democratic representative and the leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has been sounding the alarm about President Joe Biden\u2019s re\xeblection prospects. She fears that the fragile coalition that won him the White House in 2020\u2014which included suburban swing voters, people of color, and younger, progressive-leaning constituents\u2014is \u201cfractured\u201d over issues like immigration and Biden\u2019s support for Israel\u2019s war in Gaza. Gaza in particular \u201cis just a very difficult issue, because we don\u2019t all operate from the same facts,\u201d Jayapal tells David Remnick. \u201cIt is probably the most complex issue I have had to deal with in Congress. And I certainly didn\u2019t come to Congress to deal with this issue.\u201d But Jayapal sees a longer-term problem facing the Democratic Party. \u201cThe problem I think with a lot of my own party is we are very late to populist ideas,\u201d she says. \u201cThe two biggest things people talk to me about are housing and child care. They saw that we had control of the House, the Senate, and the White House\u2014and we didn\u2019t get that done. And I can explain till the cows come home about the filibuster . . . but what people feel is the reality.\u201d Of the political struggle that accompanied the President\u2019s Build Back Better plan, she thinks, \u201cA road or a bridge is extremely important, but if people can\u2019t get out of the house, or they don\u2019t have a house, then it\u2019s not going to matter.\u201d