Shaping the Biden Administration’s Coronavirus Response
President Biden’s American Rescue Plan was one of the most significant pieces of legislation this century — and Biden utilized Data for Progress polling to push legislators to vote for it. In a February 2021 call with House Democrats, President Biden cited Data for Progress polling showing bipartisan support for the American Rescue Plan to help build momentum around the bill in Congress.
As Politico wrote, that call between Biden and House Democrats demonstrated Data for Progress’ growing impact on national politics: “Data for Progress may not have been in existence when Biden was vice president, but it’s become a mainstay for activists and lawmakers on the left.”
Throughout the Biden Administration, we’ve pushed the president to go big on economic investment, and the administration has used our work to show legislators that its landmark proposals are an electoral asset — not a liability:
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki used Data for Progress polling to show strong support for the American Jobs Plan. During an April 2021 press briefing, Psaki referenced our polling with Invest in America showing that a 35-point majority of voters support funding Biden’s infrastructure package by raising taxes on the wealthy. Just a week later, Psaki opened her briefing by citing our finding that 73 percent of voters — including 57 percent of Republicans — support the American Jobs Plan. These references have helped the White House demonstrate to the public, members of the media, and legislators that voters back President Biden’s infrastructure agenda.
In a memo to congressional Democrats, White House senior advisor Anita Dunn used Data for Progress polling to urge members of Congress to support Biden’s proposed tax increases on the wealthy. She’s not the only one: White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, and former senior advisor Anita Dunn have all used our polling to advocate for progressive policies. In September, Axios obtained internal documents from White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield laying out Democrats’ messaging strategy around Build Back Better. It turns out, it was loaded with Data for Progress polling. Our polling was cited six separate times to show the popularity of Biden’s investment agenda, far more than any other pollster. Our polling also made an appearance in two White House press releases, and in September, President Biden tweeted our polling to show the popularity of the Build Back Better agenda.
In June 2021, Data for Progress partnered with Groundwork Collaborative to launch Fighting Chance for Families, a war room advocating for a permanent extension of the enhanced child tax credit. FCF has used polling, media, and partnerships with members of Congress to push legislators to #ExpandCTC — all generating significant media coverage, from The Washington Post to Common Dreams to Huffington Post. We also joined Congressman Ritchie Torres and a recipient of the credit in New York City for a press conference calling to extend this tax cut for working families across the nation.