Why didn't Democrats codify Roe v. Wade when Obama had a fillibuster proof majority in 2009? (Because this is where the talking point originates).
The myth is Obama had one for 2 straight years and failed to deliver, ergo, we cannot trust Democrats to codify Roe.
Well, my sweet, summer children, that is bullshit.
For two glorious years Democrats had full and total control of the House, where bills originate. The lie is that they had the same in the Senate. Because while a bill only needs 50 votes to pass, it needs 60 to be brought to a vote in the event that it will be fillibustered first. (Spoiler alert- it will be.)
In 2009, we had 57 Democratic seats and 2 independent seats that usually reliably caucused with the Dems (Bernie Sanders and that fucking twice-baked potato, Joe Lieberman.)
So 59 seats, 1 shy of the magical 60.
Except the 59 is an illusion. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts has a seizure (he had brain cancer) during the inauguration and never returns to vote. So we're at 58.
Al Franken of Minnesota isn't seated because of a contested election that requires recounting. They are down to 57.
Arlen Specter becomes a Democrat in April, though. So back up to 58.
Robert Byrd gets sick in May 2009- down to 57 again. (He died in June of 2010)
Franken is finally seated in early July, Byrd returns in late July (he's not dead yet but he's looking peaked, y'all.) 59. Almost there.
Ted Kennedy, who never returned, dies in August and his seat is filled by another Democrat, Paul Kirk, at the end of September- temporarily until they can have an election.
60. Woohoo. Total control of Congress. Yesssss.
Until February when Scott Brown (R) wins Ted Kennedy's old seat. (Yes, blue states can elect Republicans. Elections matterrrrrr.)
Do you know what they did with that 4 months (keep in mind they recess in there, too, so it's not even consecutive)? They pass the Affordable Care Act. Barely. After Joe twice-baked fucking potato Lieberman tanks the public option. One of the most consequential if not wholly imperfect pieces of legislation passed in the last twenty years. And it very nearly didn't. Seriously. Barely.
In that magical four months there was no political capital to codify Roe and pass the ACA. There just wasn't. Because that magic 60? It included Ben Nelson (NE), Peter Bayh (IN), Blanche Lincole (AK), Kent Conrad (ND), And Mary Landrieu (LA), among others, who were anti-abortion/ pro-life Blue Dog Dems. (Think Joe Manchin, but lots of them, ratfucking progress left and right.)
They didn't have the votes, darlings. And with the sad, small amount of time they did before Republicans wiped out Democratic control of both the House and the Senate in the 2010 midterm bloodbath, they changed health care as we know it (yes, it was even worse than it is now- so much worse).
That's the story morning glories. It's messy. Fraught. And it requires a lot more political knowledge than some knob on social media pontificating about "why didn't they just?" with absolutely no effort to put into the historical context.
We need to bring back School House Rock, I fear.
