Why Seed Patents—Yes, Seed Patents—Are Key to the Democrats’ Future

The Progressive Caucus’s new affordability agenda raises a point that highlights a crucial aspect of why Democratic messaging is usually so weak.

The House Progressive Caucus released its affordability agenda last week. Ever since Zohran Mamdani rode the multisyllabic a-word to his surprise victory in the New York mayoral race last year, Democrats of every ideological stripe have been nattering about affordability. I’ve been around long enough to know that when that happens, and the consultants get their hands on it, the end result is usually that the word du jour gets bleached of all meaning and loses the potency that made it a weapon in the first place. So, I clicked on the link on the caucus’ web site with not a little trepidation.

To my relief, it wasn’t at all bad. The daily experiences, needs, and frustrations of working people received the proper emphasis. Here are the main things they propose to do:

Establishing a government program to sell generic drugs at a discount. This, says the caucus, will lower the price of insulin from $300 a vial to $50. I have long argued that the Democrats ought to make insulin free by paying the manufacturers a negotiated fee, just like they did with Moderna and Pfizer on the Covid vaccine (although that fee that would be considerably less than their current crazy profits). But $50 is closer to free than $300. It’s a start.

Charging oil companies a tax on extra profits collected because of Donald Trump’s war, then refunding that money to consumers, which the caucus says could save families up to $324.

Building millions of new homes, offering new homeowners $20,000 in downpayment assistance, and expanding rental aid.

Requiring companies to offer double pay for overtime (Barack Obama expanded overtime pay, and Trump reversed that).

Guaranteeing every worker two weeks of paid vacation.

Cracking down on price-fixing among big........

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