ro khanna
Ro Khanna Says Progressives Must 'Pull Biden Across Finish Line—and Then Organize'
Is Khanna a bridge to the 2030s for a party whose future is looking very murky in 2024?
In the 5th inning of Monday night’s Phillies game against the San Diego Padres, Alec Bohm stepped up to the plate with two Phils on base and a chance to blow open a close game. When Bohm’s drive to left field just cleared the fence for a 3-run homer, more than 43,000 people leapt to their feet, and a guy sitting in front of us in a white headband abruptly whipped around, jumped in the air, and gave Ro Khanna an aggressive high-five.
I can almost guarantee the random Phillies fan had no idea he was slapping the hand of a U.S. congressman. And one elected by the visitors’ home state of California, no less.
But Khanna, a 47-year-old Democrat who represents the upscale tech paradise of Silicon Valley and is considered a rising star of his party’s progressive wing, wants the world — even all the San Francisco Giants fans back in his district — to know that he still loves the Phillies. They’re the team he grew up with as a kid in Bucks County, rooting from the concrete heights of the 700 Level in the old Vet with $1 tickets that were doled out as a prize for getting good grades. (There might be a bigger story in this adopted Californian’s public display of affection for a Pennsylvania team — but more on that in a moment.)
I’ve known Khanna since I profiled him for The Inquirer five years ago, chronicling how a kid from a middle-class subdivision in Holland, Pa., and Council Rock High School became a top adviser to the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders and a progressive voice on U.S. foreign policy. Monday night, I got to tag along as the congressman enjoyed a belated Father’s Day with a crew that included his own dad — Vijay, retired engineer from Philadelphia’s former Rohm and Haas, and his mom, Jyotsna, a Council Rock substitute teacherwhen Ro and his brother were in grade school.
Khanna hopes he can provide leadership on those issues because folks on Capitol Hill see him as a uniter among the ever-feuding Democrats
Now the kid who watched Mike Schmidt and Lenny Dykstra as specks from the cheap seats got the VIP treatment behind home plate for pre-game batting practice. As Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh perfected the swings that would later produce 18 hits in a 9-2 rout, Khanna reminisced about sneaking away from his cousin’s wedding to watch Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, only to have his 17-year-old heart broken by Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams’ service of a home-run ball to the Blue Jays’ Joe Carter. But politics is never far from the front of Khanna’s brain.
We were talking about how Khanna’s dad, who played cricket as a youth in India before coming to America, became a fan of baseball and his alma mater’s University of Michigan football, only to see cricket now gaining a foothold in the United States. That “is part of my vision for America,” the congressman sharply pivoted. “We can become this beautiful multiracial community without giving up all of the great traditions. We can celebrate the great traditions — most immigrant families do — but add to it new ones. That is the beauty of this country.”
I’d wanted to catch up with Khanna to get his thoughts about the future of the Democrats at what feels like a make-or-break moment for the party, and also for its progressive wing that steadily gained influence over the last decade. President Joe Biden’s approval rating is under water, and he is facing a down-to-the-wire battle against a convicted felon in Donald Trump. Biden won’t win unless the kind of voters that Khanna appeals to — younger, progressive, critical of U.S. militarism overseas — show up for the Democrats in November.
“We’ve got to pull Biden across the finish line, and then organize,” Khanna told me. He thinks Biden can win with an economic message that’s focused on the future and on big things, suggesting a 10-day tour of the Upper Midwest to talk about reviving steel and other major industries. The four-term congressman is hopeful that Biden will stay in the Oval Office to sign his legislative priorities, including a bill to give all Americans child care for no more than $10 a day, raising the federal minimum wage to $17, and hiking taxes on millionaires and billionaires — many of whom live in Khanna’s district, home to tech giants such as Apple and Google.
Khanna hopes he can provide leadership on those issues because folks on Capitol Hill see him as a uniter among the ever-feuding Democrats — a member in good standing of the Sanders-ite progressive wing who works well with moderates and will even go on Fox News to pitch his ideas to Republicans. I spoke by phone Monday with Khanna’s friend Ed Rendell, the 80-year-old ex-mayor and governor still active in party affairs, who told me: “Ro Khanna is a very important guy for the future of the Democratic Party in the sense that I think the party has to come together.” Democrats’ left and center flanks need to “stop bickering and act more in concert,” Rendell said.
Is Khanna a bridge to the 2030s for a party whose future is looking very murky in 2024? It’s interesting that Khanna is returning again to his native state in late July for an event in Johnstown around rebuilding the steel industry — and that he invited me to publicize his Phillies’ fandom here in a swing state that’s become the decider in U.S presidential elections with its 19 electoral votes.
“I think he definitely could be a candidate for national office,” Rendell said. “I think he’ll be the leading progressive going into 2028, and he could be a presidential or vice presidential candidate,” adding: “We can’t win unless our candidate is a uniter.”
Khanna was a lot more reticent when I prodded him about 2028, when he’ll turn 52. “We’ve got to win this [2024] election, but there’s a hunger for a new generation of leadership and I hope to be a strong voice in that conversation with my economic vision,” he told me. “We’ve got to bring this country together. And then it’s for the American people to decide.”
There’s no doubt that America needs a new vision, so why not one that was honed by a straight-A kid squinting at Von Hayes from the upper reaches of the Vet?
As Boycott Grows, Ocasio-Cortez Says Netanyahu Invitation 'Should Be Revoked'
"This man should not be addressing Congress," said the New York Democrat. "He is a war criminal."
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said late Tuesday that Democratic and Republican leaders should withdraw their invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak at a joint meeting of Congress next month after he released a video attacking the Biden administration for "withholding" weapons from Israel's military.
"This man should not be addressing Congress. He is a war criminal," Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote on social media. "And he certainly has no regard for U.S. law, which is explicitly designed to prevent U.S. weapons from facilitating human rights abuses."
"His invitation should be revoked," she added. "It should've never been sent in the first place."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) formally invited Netanyahu to address a joint meeting last month, roughly two weeks after the Biden administration all but acknowledged what leading human rights organizations had been saying for months: that Israeli forces have used American weaponry to commit war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The invitation also came roughly two months after Schumer criticized Netanyahu in a speech on the Senate floor, accusing the prime minister of being "too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza" and calling for new leadership in Israel.
"The United States needs to be using its leverage, including restrictions on arms sales, as a way to advance a push toward peace in the Middle East."
Netanyahu, who is scheduled to address Congress on July 24 as he faces a possible arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, said in his video remarks Tuesday that the Biden administration "has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel" over "the past few months." The Israeli prime minister was apparently referring to the administration's decision last month to pause a shipment that includes 2,000-pound bombs.
But the administration is still moving ahead with other weapons deals with Israel, including an $18 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets and Joint Direct Attack Munition kits that the Israeli military has used against civilians in Gaza.
Ocasio-Cortez's call for the cancellation of Netanyahu's scheduled address came as the number of Democrats planning to boycott the Israeli prime minister's speech continued to grow, with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) recently announcing their decisions to skip the joint meeting.
"Benjamin Netanyahu has created a humanitarian disaster," Warren toldThe Hill on Tuesday. "The United States needs to be using its leverage, including restrictions on arms sales, as a way to advance a push toward peace in the Middle East."
"We need a cease-fire, massive humanitarian relief, the return of the hostages, and we've gotta have a breakthrough on getting the parties to the negotiating table," the senator added. "Giving more arms to Israel is not pushing in the right direction."
In addition to vowing to boycott Netanyahu's scheduled speech, some congressional Democrats are reportedly discussing "counter-programming" plans "focused on peace, bringing the hostages home, and ending this horrible conflict," Axiosreported last week, citing an unnamed House Democrat.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is among the lawmakers pledging to boycott the Israeli prime minister's speech, said Tuesday that "it is absurd that Netanyahu has been invited to address Congress."
"We should not be honoring people who use the starvation of children as a weapon of war," said Sanders.
In an email sent out on Wednesday, the progressive group Justice Democrats urged its supporters to demand that their elected representatives either boycott or disrupt Netanyahu's July 24 address, noting that the Israeli prime minister and his government "are still actively carrying out what historian Robert Pape has called 'one of the most intense civilian punishment campaigns in history.'"
"We need our leaders in Washington to stop using our taxpayer dollars to send billions in weapons and bombs to Israel, and demand a permanent cease-fire and the release of all hostages—not roll out the red carpet for Netanyahu," the group added.
The End of Affordable Internet
The federal funding contained in the Affordable Connectivity Program offered a vital lifeline for people in South Carolina and nationwide. Now we must fight to resurrect such a program so that everyone has digital access that enriches individual lives and communities.
Almost four years ago, Congress established a little-known program called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Since it was created, the program provided millions of Americans with affordable, high-quality internet. It never got much attention, but it’s impact on communities across the country including in South Carolina was enormous.
Launched by the Federal Trade Commission, the program provided eligible households with a discount on internet service of up to $30 every month to bridge the digital divide. Just this year alone, 415,680 families in South Carolina relied on the program, which averaged to about one in five households in the state. In total, the program saved people in South Carolina over $12 million each month on internet service.
Despite widespread support for the program, its funding expired on June 1st. As elected officials representing Silicon Valley, the tech hub of the world, and Chester, Fairfield, and Richland, predominantly Black counties that have struggled with reliable internet, we are fighting to raise awareness about rising internet bills for families and extend the program for another four years.
The ACP is too important to just let it expire without a fight. When bills come due and 23 million American households are suddenly slapped with an additional cost, the people who will hurt the most are our seniors, young students, people in rural areas or food deserts, and those who rely on the internet for activity and a sense of community.
The ACP is too important to just let it expire without a fight.
For many older Americans, the internet is a lifeline. It lets them talk with loved ones, learn about essential services and benefits, and access healthcare information online. Without affordable internet access, seniors may feel lonelier and more disconnected, lowering their enjoyment and quality of life.
Young people will also be hit especially hard by the program ending. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of online educational resources and in an era where technology shapes every aspect of our lives, students need to prepare for jobs in a digital economy. Both of us believe we need to ensure that the next generation has access to good jobs and opportunities and a shot at the American Dream. But we can’t prepare these students for the high paying tech jobs and advanced manufacturing jobs of the future if they don’t have internet access. The internet allows individuals to take advantage of at home remote and virtual trainings.
Another impacted group includes those living in rural areas far away from doctors, hospitals, or pharmacies. The stories we heard about what people went through before this program was enacted were heartbreaking. People were driving for miles and miles just to pick up their medication. Telemedicine provides another, much easier way to receive medical care through remote consultations to prescription refills that can be delivered directly to their homes. People living in food deserts face a similar situation when it comes to ordering groceries and other necessities. Ripping this access away deepens already existing disparities in both healthcare and nutrition.
At any age and in any location, people turn to the internet to find community and make friends. It’s become an essential place particularly for people who may experience discrimination or bullying at school. People with specific hobbies like playing an instrument or running have been able to connect and form bands or running clubs. The ACP empowered people to find like-minded people and pursue their passions and interests online.
The ACP program has improved the lives of millions and opened a new world of social connections, health benefits, education opportunities, and good paying jobs in South Carolina and nationwide. All of us need to speak out now to raise awareness and explore new solutions to protect affordable internet access for all.