Biden’s stimulus shows he’s governing like Bernie

Biden’s stimulus shows he’s governing like Bernie

The historic $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan just passed the House of Representatives for a second time, sending it to President Joe Biden's desk to be made law as soon as this week.

The package is the first major legislation of Biden's presidency “” and it enjoys widespread support. A new Morning Consult poll found that 75% of voters support the package, including 59% of Republicans. In fact, poll after poll has shown the popularity of going big with the package.

The elements of the package that make it so popular are strikingly similar to policies long favored by one of America's most popular senators: Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. 

Since he emerged as a serious candidate for president in 2016, Sanders has loudly advocated for the United States to join the ranks of developed countries that have embraced social democracy.

The stimulus is chock-full of social-democratic ideas: Putting cash into Americans' pockets, beefing up their unemployment benefits, and providing a child tax credit, to name just a few.

Although Sanders defines himself as a Democratic Socialist, there's a big difference between "socialism" and social democracy, as the developed countries Sanders admires so much include pro-market democracies, often Scandinavian ones.

"I think we should look to