‘The Squad’ Isn't Going Anywhere, and Neither Is The Progressive Wing of The Democratic Party

Reps. Ayanna S. Pressley., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Also known as ‘The Squad.’ Source.

The 2018 midterm elections resulted in many firsts: the youngest woman elected into Congress, the first of defeating a ten-term incumbent, and the first two Muslim women to be elected to Congress. The women who achieved these feats were Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar – a group of younger-than-Congressional-average women of color who form what is now known in electoral discourse as “The Squad.” After their secured victories, they were subject to many racist, sexist, and otherwise derogatory attacks from Republican politicians and internet trolls alike. Even President Trump called them “very racist troublemakers” who are “young, inexperienced, and not very smart,” while also being “so bad for our country.” Progressivism was popularized in an unprecedented manner leading up to the 2016 election, largely due to the work of Senator and former Presidential Primary Candidate Bernie Sanders, and has been on the rise ever since.  

The Democratic Party is home to a range of ideologies; from the neoconservative center-right to self-proclaimed democratic-socialists. Those  ideologies are brought to clash over issues such as healthcare and environmental justice. “The Squad,” perhaps the politically left-most contingent of elected officials, is most famous for advocating a progressive push in the Democratic Party, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introducing the Green New Deal in the House of Representatives. The Green New Deal is unique in that sense that it provides immediate action along with long-term goals in all aspects of the environment, ranging from environmental policy to sustainable jobs. Advocated by “The Squad,” the Green New Deal is unlike any environmental legislation introduced in Congress and proves to show the ever-growing progressive push in the Democratic Party. This push has clashed with party leadership, primarily between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and “The Squad” itself. Pelosi immediately dismissed the Green New Deal as “the green new dream or whatever.” Ocasio-Cortez joined the protesters, who sat-in Pelosi’s yard following her dismissive comments.

Another staunch divide in the Democratic Party lies within healthcare. Although 63% of Americans support Medicare for All, there hasn’t been much of a push for a single-payer healthcare system in Congress, with the National Healthcare Act only receiving 118 cosponsors – barely over half of House Democrats – showing a disconnect between American constituents and their elected politicians. “The Squad” have all pushed for Medicare for All, and are outspoken about health discrepancies within the United States. They all endorsed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, who introduced a similar bill to the National Healthcare Act in the Senate. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was the first co-sponsor of the bill but no longer supports it.

“The Squad” all won reelection in their 2020 races in a landslide, with the same platforms that they ran on in the 2018 midterm elections. They constantly clash with centrist Democratic leaders, namely with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, who are much older than the average American. They are still subject to constant attacks from right-wing politicians, from sexist slurs to xenophobic remarks, two years into their tenures. However, they symbolize the progressive strive in younger generations, with several progressive politicians succeeding in primaries and elections. The outspokenness of “The Squad,” along with their parallel to the new American identity – children of immigrants, people of color – inspire politicians and advocates alike to push the Democratic Party in a more progressive direction in hopes of a cleaner, safer, and hopeful agenda within the party’s future.