If there is any lesson that Democrats can take away from the 2018 midterm elections, it’s how important it is to listen to the demands of the progressive base. Some races throughout the country did result in historical wins, and Democrats took power as the House majority. In spite of these victories, the U.S. is still fraught with critical problems that are in need of just resolutions. Now that Democrats have taken charge of the House, it cannot sit idly by and back down against Trump.

To support the efforts of the elected officials fighting for justice on our behalf, it’s crucial that “we the people” continue to stay engaged in politics beyond Nov. 6. When it comes to these five key issues in particular, we must make sure that there is no compromise taken.

1. The Environment

Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change put out a report outlining the dire impact global warming could have on the planet as early as 2040, if immediate action is not taken to better protect the environment. This means the U.S. government needs to do more to address climate change in a serious way, whether that is through more legislation advocating for renewable energy, the expansion of public transportation or completely restructuring how society functions overall.

2. Health Care

An issue that continues to be on the minds of every American is access to decent and affordable health care. Many of the candidates who were able to defeat their political adversaries during the midterms often discussed the concept of Medicare for All. However, speaking in support of certain policies and actually ensuring that they are implemented are two different things. Having publicly funded health care must be the end goal, not the starting offer.

3. The Economy

When it comes to the economy, Black families are still at a larger disadvantage in comparison to their white counterparts. According to 2017 data collected by the New York Times, which was based on the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, “For every $100 in white family wealth, black families hold just $5.04.”

The disparity between wealth of Black and white families in America is nothing new. However, now that the Democrats have control over the House, more progressive politicians will have access to the committees and boards that oversee the management of the country’s funds.

For instance, Maxine Waters is due to become the chair of the House Financial Services Committee, which manages all U.S.-based industries related to financial services. In July, Waters and Republican Congressman Jeb Hensarling endorsed "bipartisan capital-formation legislation to help America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs and to protect investors."

As regulators of the banking and finance industry, the House Financial Services Committee can hold accountable the lending industry for any unfair practices and discrimination that may be taking place against Black people. We also need more legislation like this but with a hyper-focus on helping Black entrepreneurship and landownership. With Waters in charge, there is opportunity to help push for initiatives that possess the potential to grow Black wealth; leading more people of color to home and business ownership and closing the median net worth gap between Black and white families.

4. Ending Mass Incarceration
If we are to seriously look at ending ending mass incarceration then we need a justice system that is radically different. Ending private prisons the school-to-prison pipeline, as well as implementing a strategy based on restorative justice are just some of the ways that we can tackle mass incarceration.

Restorative justice, in particular, is a process that focuses accountability and rehabilitation of the accused "through reconciliation with victims and the community at large." This approach is focused less on punishment and more on how healing can take place for all parties involved. During his campaign, Andrew Gillum, former Democratic candidate for governor of Florida, spoke to Blavity Politics about the benefits of restorative justice, which is something he also attempted to employ during his time as mayor of Tallahassee.

"Instead of young people having to go in front of a judge and jury, and being told that they committed a crime against the state of Florida, they'd go before community justice panels," Gillum said. "At the state level, four out of 10 reoffend. For us [in Tallahassee], fewer than one-tenth actually go on to reoffend. "

Criminal justice reform has already been put on the table with the First Step Act, which was passed by the House in May and has since been revised by the Senate. According to a report from CNBC, "The First Step Act would affect less than 3 percent of the 181,000 inmates currently in federal prisons, and it would have no impact on the over 1 million inmates in state prisons."

Trump has recently endorsed the bill, and said he would sign it into law. The question that remains, is how robust will the bill be and how great of an impact will it have on the Black community, who is disproportionately affected by mass incarceration. Though the bill is being touted as a major overhaul of our current criminal justice system it's crucial to keep in mine that the bill leaves many of those incarcerated behind. This is why we need comprehensive change to our criminal justice system that can apply new ways of imagining how we hold each other accountable.

5. Immigration

Since Trump has taken office, he and his administration have used their power to attack immigrants. Within their first year in office, the Trump administration championed executive orders that endorsed travel bans against countries with a Muslim majority and even attempted to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA).

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency was created under former president George W. Bush in response to terrorism and the September 11 attacks. Now under the Trump presidency, ICE has seemingly become more aggressive, as the number of immigrant arrests as well as the rate of deportation has reportedly increased tremendously. That's why we need a comprehensive effort that provides an immediate pathway of citizenship, in addition to abolishing the practice of criminalizing those who come to our country seeking refuge. Additionally, Congress needs to block any executive effort that leads to the further imprisonment and dehumanization of those who come to America for a better life.

Trump may currently have a Republican-controlled Senate as well as a conservative majority in the Supreme Court. But one major line of defense against the policies from this administration that hurt communities of color is the Democrat-controlled House. Since Democrats depend heavily on our support — especially the support of Black women — all we can hope for now is that these newly elected politicians keep their promises, so that our votes result in actual change that benefits our lives.

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Also, check these out related links:

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Democratic House Victory Means Maxine Waters Will Soon Help Regulate The Country's Biggest Banks

These Are The Winning Black Candidates Of The Midterm Election

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