DNC committee OKs party platform draft

Democrats met on Tuesday to approve the party’s 2024 platform ahead of the party’s national convention in Chicago next month. The 80-page draft—first released on Saturday—was approved by a vote of 139-2.

Here’s what the platform says about major issues:

Economy: Democrats want to build the economy “from the bottom up and middle out.” The party aims to establish a $15 minimum wage while expanding access to capital for small or growing businesses. The platform also promises to guarantee that no Americans making under $400,000 a year will see a rise in federal income tax. The party will push for a permanent restoration of the expanded Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit while raising the corporate tax rate and closing special interest loopholes. 

Health and family: The platform states that President Joe Biden will work to lower healthcare costs and make Medicare permanently solvent by raising taxes on the wealthy. Democrats aim to provide quality child care for less than $10 a day per child to millions of blue-collar families. They also promise a restoration of Roe v. Wade abortion laws and guaranteed access to contraceptives, in vitro fertilization, and abortion pills.

Housing and energy: The proposal would attempt to lower housing costs by building and renovating 2 million homes across the country. If reelected, Biden will also scale up solar, wind, and geothermal projects and cut billions of dollars in oil and gas subsidies.

Gun violence and crime: Democrats advocated for “common sense solutions” to gun violence, including universal background checks and safe gun storage requirements while banning semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. Americans need to fund the police, the platform said. Biden will call on Congress to make a nearly $47 billion investment in law enforcement to fund 100,000 more police officers and programs to build community trust. Democrats will also push to expunge federal marijuana-only convictions.

Foreign policy: Biden would continue supporting NATO allies and Ukraine in its war against Russia. The administration would also push to outcompete China and achieve durable peace in the Middle East with a negotiated two-state solution.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about how the Republican National Committee cut 50 pages from its platform in a day.