Here comes the next ugly battle
As the number of COVID-19 cases in America continues to rise, we’re seeing a test of leadership – governors who managed to rise up in times of crisis, particularly in the absence of a functional president whose handling of the crisis is meeting more disapproval by the day.
We’re also seeing how our members of Congress react – which ones actually tackle the worst issues the virus complicates, and which ones have decided to exploit it or otherwise ignore it. Republicans have already tried to use the virus as an excuse to bail out their donor friends and to make good on their promises to ban abortion, while Democrats have worked on a vote by mail system and relief for small businesses and working class individuals.
It was bad enough that Lindsey Graham decided to make a fool of himself by insulting healthcare workers on the front lines just a few days ago. Now his fellow Sen. Kevin Cramer decided to go and say something even more stupid (and perhaps just as offensive.) During an interview on CNBC, Cramer decided that in the wake of talks about the next stimulus bill, it was a good time to bring up the topic of cutting safety net programs like social security and Medicaid, “to put it all out there on the table” and saying that the time has come to have an adult conversation about it.
This is something that Donald Trump has already been caught saying, and pretty much a given of what will happen if Republicans have any control of Congress – gutting the social safety net. It just so happens that Cramer isn’t up for re-election this year so he’s the safest person to deliver the message and see what the public will be willing to sacrifice. As we get closer to Election Day, expect to hear this a bit louder and remember it’s why we need to vote them out more than ever.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making