One political party is getting things done

Americans have invested taxpayer money in national projects such as the Erie Canal, the interstate highway system, Going-to-the-Sun Road, or universal K-12 education. Projects such as these have enabled us to become a world economic power. The recent infrastructure bill which includes money for roads, bridges, mass transit, rail, airports, ports, and waterways over five years is a $65 billion investment in improving the nation's broadband infrastructure and invests tens of billions of dollars in improving the electric grid and water systems while creating millions of jobs. The Build Back Better bill (passed by the House) will provide American families with universal pre-care, expand paid family leave, lower drug prices, drastically reduce the cost of insulin, hearing aids for medicare, and child tax credits while reducing America’s poverty level by 40%.

Our government is doing well by all measurable standards. It’s messy, but that’s democracy. Unemployment is down. Job creation is up. Covid vaccinations are up. The stock market is up. America is starting to take climate change seriously. But you would never know it by listening to Fox News or Congressman Matt Rosendale or Senator Steve Daines. Joe Biden delivered the bipartisanship that he promised; however, only Montana’s Senator Jon Tester advocated for these public investments to benefit Montanans.

At this point in Trump’s presidency, he signed zero major legislation even though the GOP had bigger majorities in both houses. Republicans had years to pass an alternative to Obamacare and never did it. Years to pass an infrastructure bill but never did it. They spend all their time attacking one perceived enemy or another with dog-whistle rhetoric and performative clickbait antics. But do they advocate for issues that would help America? Legislators are supposed to fight for their districts. They’re not supposed to agree on everything, but they are supposed to follow the guidelines of the Constitution.

One party is working hard, getting things done, representing the needs of the American people. One is not. Every conceivable political group is contained in this party. There are conservatives, liberals, industrialists, economists, environmentalists all under the umbrella of the democratic party. What does the republican party stand for today? Not the party of lower taxes, family values, or small government. They have no political platform. Further, If you outlaw abortions, ban mask mandates, dictate what educators can teach in schools, force transgender students to play sports according to their assigned gender at birth, and stop people from voting, you’re not the party of limited government. It is social control. The republican party of today has only one objective: prevent democrats from getting anything done and achieve and maintain power. The party is becoming smaller and more dangerous as members try to curry favor with the more radical base that they helped create. Governing is getting things done not attacking the other side. They have given up on competing on ideas, but now through gerrymandering, voting laws, electing political hacks at the state levels to certify winners of elections only if their side wins. Republican Dwight Eisenhower once said, “if a political party is not grounded in a cause that is right and moral, it is no longer a political party but simply a conspiracy to seize power”.

David James, Eureka