Jake Shellinsky

I’m not even a Schumer guy (feel free to do a search on my past tweets about him lol) so I can’t believe I’m the one laying this all out, but everyone seems to have memory holed this period, so here goes nothing. From 2021-2022, when Democrats held 50 seats in the Senate (with VP Harris as a tiebreaker) — so they had zero votes to spare — Schumer got 97 federal judges confirmed to the bench (including Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court) and shepherded the following bills through to passage on their way to becoming law. You can argue that these didn’t go far enough, he had the wrong priorities, that Build Back Better was a flop, etc. But it is objectively damn impressive that he was able to get all of these through with literally no room for error: American Rescue Plan ($1.9T) Huge economic stimulus package in the midst of the pandemic — provided $1,400 stimulus checks to eligible Americans; expanded unemployment & child tax benefits; funded schools, hospitals, small businesses, local governments, and COVID-19 vaccinations and testing.
 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ($1.2T) Repaired roads and bridges, invested in public transportation and passenger rail, expanded broadband internet access, funded improvements to airports and ports, invested in electrical vehicle charging stations & upgraded drinking water systems. CHIPS and Science Act Provided over $50B in incentives to build more computer chip factories in the U.S. and research funding for semiconductor manufacturing to reduce our dependence on Chinese chips. Inflation Reduction Act Allowed Medicare to negotiate prices for certain prescription drugs, capped Medicare beneficiaries' insulin costs at $35 per month, extended Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies, offered tax incentives for electric vehiclesand clean energy, created a 15% minimum tax on certain large corporations, increased IRS funding to improve tax enforcementand collections.
 PACT Act Expanded healthcare coverage for veterans exposed to burn pits and toxic chemicals, made it easier for veterans to qualify for disability benefits, and added more VA healthcare facilities and resources.
 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Expanded background checks for gun buyers under 21, provided federal funding for state crisis intervention programs, invested in school security and mental health services.
 Respect for Marriage Act Protected federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages and required states to recognize valid marriages performed in other states.