Roosevelt Had A Great Idea Whose Time Has Come: An Economic Bill Of Rights

During his last State of the Union address (1944), FDR proposed an Economic Bill of Rights or Second Bill of Rights. His point was that the political bill of rights in the Constitution had “proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.” This, in part, was his speech:

It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people— whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth— is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights— among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

As our nation has grown in size and stature, however— as our industrial economy expanded— these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. "Necessitous men are not free men." People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all— regardless of station, race, or creed.

There were about 40 million Americans living in poverty when Roosevelt became president— and there were around 40 million people living in poverty when Biden became president.

This is what Roosevelt suggested we do to remedy the situation:

• Right to employment

• Right to an adequate income for food, shelter and recreation

• Right to a fair income for farmers

• Freedom from unfair competition and monopolies

• Decent housing

• Adequate medical case

• Social security

• Education

Yesterday, DATA For Progress released a poll showing that most Americans are still waiting for our political elites to carry out what FDR asked for around 8 decades ago. Their results show that 69% of likely voters support an Economic Bill of Rights— and not just normal people. Even 51% of Republican voters favor it! That includes 87% of voters who agree that Americans have a right to healthcare (including 82% of Republicans). Next week, Bernie and Pramila are going to roll out a Medicare-for-All proposal. Although Republicans have been brainwashed by Fox to oppose those words, 56% of Americans support it, including a third of Republican voters.

Other findings:

• 74% of voters support a federal jobs guarantee.

• 81% of voters support the right to a preschool education and 72% support the right to a college education.

• 72% support the idea of building enough housing that would ensure all Americans a decent place to live.

• 79% support the right to a basic income (including 71% of Republicans).

• 63% support the right to basic banking services (through the post office)

• 66% support the right to unionize (including even 44% of GOP voters)

Asked “which party has done a better job at creating and enacting a social platform that benefits people like you,” 35% said Democrats, 28% said Republicans, 7% said both parties handle the social platforms equally and 26% said neither party is doing it well. And when the words “economic platform” were substituted for “social platform,” Republicans pulled slightly ahead of Democrats!

How is that possible? Voters are watching the dance Biden is doing with Republicans on the budget cuts they’re demanding. Everyone knows he’s preparing to cave. After the meeting with McCarthy last week, he came out and said “we should be cutting spending.” He just wants it to be separate from the debt limit talks. But as far as the kind of austerity budget the GOP is demanding… Biden has always been fine with that in the past and he’ll probably let them “force” him into it this time too. He certainly prefers it to raising taxes on his wealthy donors. And remember, Biden was 100% complicit with the Republicans in letting this problem get to a last second situation so that he can make the case that he had no choice. It’s why so many people don’t trust the Democrats any more than they trust the Republicans.

In a back and forth with former Florida Congressman Alan Grayson on this yesterday, he told me that "It comes as no surprise to me that most people want FDR’s Economic Bill of Rights, just like I do-- that support has been there for almost a century. The question, which progressives need to think hard about, is why such support on the issues does not translate well into election victories, and hasn’t for a long time, now. And why do we have civil rights, gender equality (except for abortion, now), the right to clean air and water, marriage equality, and legal marijuana in most of the country, but not FDR’s Economic Bill of Rights? Why?" OK... so why, I asked him. "Because," he responded, "Big Money has financed relentless propaganda against economic rights during my whole adult life, most notably on Fox News and hate radio, incessantly driving the voters to focus instead on non-issues like where trans people pee, and smearing anyone with any human decency on our side."