Republicans are making a big mistake on this one
The close majority that Democrats have in both the House and Senate have been making things a bit more complicated when it comes to getting things accomplished, but there is one piece of good news that should help when it comes to getting the COVID relief bill passed, and another cause that should give the GOP every reason to worry. It’s the most popular piece of legislation in almost two decades with nearly two-thirds of Americans supporting it. The last key legislative action that enjoyed this much popular support was the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. To find anything even more popular, you would have to go back to the early 1990s, with things like the Brady Bill or the 10-year Assault Weapons Ban.
With 66% popular support, just a few points higher than President Biden’s overall job approval rating, it’s getting to be harder for Republicans to use their attack on the bill as fiscally irresponsible, particularly when people looking for relief for their businesses in rent want more help, not less. The bill passed the House with no votes from House Republicans and Senate Republicans made an abysmal counter-offer instead, just so they could tell their constituents that they did propose something.
Not only is this a decision that could hurt them with voters in 2022, but also with businesses who remember how they did nothing to help the economy – during a financial crisis that was even worse than the Great Recession. Jobs, justice and healthcare ought to be the Democratic Party’s slogan for 2022 – particularly since the GOP has opposed all of these things.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making