Searching for Decency in a GOP Congress
The GOP keeps demonstrating that it is unfit to govern. Let’s start with the humiliating debacle wherein it took GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds of voting (unheard of for 200 years) and selling his soul to the most extreme element of his Party in order to finally become Speaker of the House. The result? Now, a GOP controlled Congress is threatening to shut down government if they don’t get cuts to Social Security and Medicare. In addition, their most recent boondoggle is pitching a 30% federal sales tax on all goods and services. This would further burden the middle class and the poor while concentrating more wealth among the uber-rich. Precipitating all of this is GOP performative “outrage” at the debt ceiling. Given that they themselves exploded the debt ceiling under trump with tax cuts for billionaires, they can hardly complain.
According to Oxfam, the top 1% gained two-thirds of all new wealth in the pandemic era. How much more favor does the GOP wish to grant them? Since Democrats control the Senate and the White House, none of GOP’s current bills will pass–and they know it–but attempting to pass legislation was never the point. Only stoking more outrage within their base. Whatever happened to governing with a servant’s heart?
Contrast GOP behavior with the wonderful and conscientious DEM Congresswoman Lauren Underwood. You can read about Rep. Underwood’s legislative accomplishments protecting those with pre-existing health conditions, banning “junk” insurance plans, protecting and improving Social Security and more here.
Regardless of political party, Rep. Underwood is a good example of the kind of caring, grounded, attention-to-kitchen-table-issues behavior I would think voters wish to see. Not rabble rousing. Not cutting and further restricting SNAP benefits. Not legislating to be cruel.
Doesn’t there come a point when GOP’s own voters realize the GOP in its current form does nothing to benefit their lives?
One of the biggest GOP sins is their insistence on cutting Social Security and Medicare, which is fully funded through our payroll taxes and adds nothing to the debt. How can we convince people that this is THEIR money, NOT a government handout. We have all been paying into Social Security and Medicare with every single paycheck we’ve ever earned.
Please remember who has your back and who is more concerned with serving their rich donors.
