The Republican Party is blowing this one big time
Republicans think their constituents are stupid. Polling says that 68% of U.S. adults — Republican, Democrat, and independent — back President Biden’s rescue plan. Republicans, however, steadfastly oppose the plan. Many believe this refusal will be a death knell for Republicans in 2022, but Republicans are not worried. Ford O’Connell, a Republican strategist, said sees no “risk to Republicans at all opposing this.” Sounds like a reasonable position from a former congressional candidate. He does not exactly know what it takes to win. Using recent polls showing that most Americans want this plan passed, the Hill reported that Democrats are attempting to sway Republicans, but Republicans continue to resist.
Instead of looking at what is good about the plan, Steve Scalise’s team characterized the plan as “Democrats jamming through their liberal wish list agenda.” If the Republicans had come up with something better or even tried to negotiate in good faith, the Democrats would not be looking at reconciliation to get the plan through. For Scalise, then, it is more important to stop the “evil Democratic agenda” than to help people in their states through this crisis — a crisis that would not exist in its current epic proportions had it not been for their Republican “president.” It is typical for Republicans to point their fingers or just sit on their hands rather than dole out funding for Americans, but when it is time to help their rich friends, they are first in line.
As the Hill quoted Nancy Pelosi, “House Republicans don’t care.” Perhaps they should change the name of their party to RepuliCANTS since they do not and will not care unless it somehow benefits them. Look at the example of Ted Cruz, jetting off to Cancun while Democrats Beto O’Rourke and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez helped the people in his constituency in a crisis. Republicans are quite shameful, though they have no shame whatsoever. Democrats do not need Republicans to pass this bill because they are in the majority; however, they are trying to work with Republicans for the good of the people. Unfortunately, only one side is honestly trying to work for the people, and it is always the same side, the Democrats.
Republicans have the nerve to accuse Democrats of not wanting bipartisanship when it is they who are guilty. They rammed through a tax cut for the rich without Democratic support, yet they want to withhold aid from the very people to whom they owe their jobs. It is doubtful that many, if any, of their grassroots constituents benefitted from that tax cut, but they certainly stand to benefit from Biden’s rescue plan. Republicans had better think hard on their assumptions. Many people in this country are hurting, and time has not made that pain better. We have lost one half million of our citizens, and small businesses continue to struggle. Republicans need to stop assuming their constituency is stupid. They may not quickly forget how Republicans tried to stop this aid.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years