Oct 11, 2014

What I Expect from a Republican Controlled Senate




You hear it on all the news programs and on commentary from political pundits. It seems to be the conventional wisdom that Republicans, who won control of the House of Representative in the last mid-term elections, will take control of the Senate in the November 2014 midterm election.
I agree that the fight for the Senate is real and the coming elections pose significant consequences for country. Personally, I shudder to think about Republicans having the final say on major issues that will affect me and my family during the coming decade.
 


Republicans have voted 52 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare. On the campaign trail, GOP candidates reverently pledge to continue the fight to repeal the law. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) recently pronounced that Republicans will continue to push a vote to repeal Obamacare if they take back the Senate in November. Eight Million Americans have become insured under the ACA. Yet, millions have been denied an opportunity to become insured under the ACA's provision that expands Medicaid participation. Republican Governors and state legislators in 20 states have refused this opportunity for eligible citizens in their states. Why would I or anyone expect the GOP to give up on their pursuit to destroy Obamacare.
 
 
Republicans support voter suppression with newly established voter identification laws and restrictions on early voting. Many now candidly admit that these laws and practices are designed to eliminate votes from Democratic constituencies and help Republicans win their elections. Listen to their comments on the record that early voting "violates the spirit of the Constitution" and facilitates "illegal votes" that "cancels the votes of honest Americans". Their goal is to reduce low income and minority voters, students, seniors, and others who support Democratic values.
 
The Republican platform adopted in 2012 has specific language to ban abortion and support a war on women's reproductive rights, evidenced by new legislation in Red States and elimination of clinics which support a women's right to choose. In addition, anti-gay rights, anti-marriage equality, and other positions that treat the LGBT community differently from other citizens are part of the GOP agenda.
A Republican controlled Senate would grind the country to a halt during President Obama's final years in office. Clearly, from past practice, there has been an overall reluctance to work in a bi-partisan manner to move the issues that Americans support forward. It has been almost impossible to fill judicial and administrative vacancies. Essential state department vacancies hamper our ability to meet our foreign policy needs. The micromanaging of a hostile Senate would assure delay on critical questions, i.e. immigration, budgeting, foreign policy, etc. A vacancy on the Supreme Court would produce a media circus and a difficult confirmation.
 
We no longer hear politicians talking about the economy and jobs. If the Republicans take control of the White House in 2016 after the presidential election, the Republican agenda should prevail supported by a Republican House and Senate. But, even another Democratic president would be tied up by a hostile Congress with more government stalls and inaction. It’s not a pretty prospect.
  
Should we reward the party that shut down the government and imperiled our fragile economy? Do you favor a party that refused to address the needs of the country in an effort to halt our forward progress just to make the President look bad? Will the strategy of just saying "no" to every proposal for political gain work? Were the Republicans right in assuming that the public would forgive their inaction on gun control, immigration, and other important issues? Can they successfully disenfranchise the elderly, students, and African Americans in order to win an election? The pollsters expect their success rate will be 95%.
I hope we give serious thought to the importance of our individual vote and the consequences of staying away from the polls. Our future absolutely depends on it. If we get out and vote, we'll win!
 

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