Progressives have a new playbook. We tested it in Queens | America, Actually

TL;DR

The Congressional Progressive Caucus released a 10-point affordability agenda, and Queens voters confirmed cost of living matters more to them than cultural issues.

Key Points

• 1.The Congressional Progressive Caucus released a 10-point affordability agenda. Key planks include double overtime pay, banning AI surveillance pricing, $20,000 first-time homebuyer assistance, and expanded rental assistance — timed to shape the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential race.
• 2.Congressman Greg Casar framed the agenda as a 'no excuses' political strategy. He said the 10 planks poll at 70% with independents and two-thirds of Trump voters, deliberately excluding flagship items like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal to maximize broad coalition support.
• 3.Casar distinguished 'flagships' from 'battleships.' Medicare for All and the Green New Deal remain long-term progressive goals, but the new affordability agenda focuses on achievable consensus items where up to 80% of voters already agree.
• 4.Surveillance pricing was highlighted as a unifying populist issue. Casar's bill would ban companies from using personal data and AI to set individualized prices — citing a viral JetBlue funeral-flight price spike as a relatable example that unites Democrats, independents, and Republicans.
• 5.Casar acknowledged the 'defund the police' slogan damaged progressives. He said he was always wary of the phrase, arguing progressives need to reclaim public safety messaging by going beyond slogans and demonstrating they prioritize working-class economic security first.
• 6.On the campaign trail in Nevada, Casar witnessed the 2024 Latino voter shift firsthand. Latino voters who had supported Obama, Clinton, and Biden told him they switched to Trump because Democrats seemed 'focused on other stuff' — pointing to cultural issues over economic concerns.
• 7.Queens voters in the 7th Congressional District confirmed cost of living dominates over cultural priorities. One resident said LGBT and immigration issues are 'secondary' compared to money, health, and housing — echoing Casar's argument that economic credibility must come before civil rights progress.