Fight for Democracy, Part 21: The Choice

Since politics is about a choice between realistic alternatives instead of perfect choices, and often that means the lesser of two evils, let’s look at the likely outcomes of Democrats winning the House (maybe the Senate) vs. Republicans holding majorities in both chambers.

Republicans plan to make more tax cuts for the rich and to make the ones they’ve made permanent. This will balloon our deficit which has already risen to $779 Billion (https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/10/16/blame-republican-tax-cuts-soaring-federal-deficits-column/1657338002/). To pay for this they plan to cut programs like Medicare and Social Security (http://fortune.com/2018/10/16/mitch-mcconnell-us-budget-deficit/). They plan to cut SNAP (food stamps), Pell Grants, and other aid to needy and disabled people.

They will attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act - they’ve tried several times and there’s no reason to expect they’ll stop trying until they succeed (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-senate-mcconnell-policy/mcconnell-says-senate-republicans-might-revisit-obamacare-repeal-idUSKCN1MR2QE). They will remove protections for pre-existing conditions. They will reverse the rule allowing kids to stay on their parents’ insurance until they are 26. They will end the ban on lifetime limits, meaning your insurance won’t have to cover you if things get really expensive. They will undue Medicaid expansion which increased coverage for ten million Americans. They will make America less healthy while most of us spend more on health care.

Republicans will continue to turn a blind eye to the corruption and disgraceful behavior of the Executive Branch. They won’t investigate Trump’s violations of the emoluments clause (profiting off the government). They won’t investigate Russian interference in our current elections, much less past ones. They won’t censure or rebuke the President for insulting private citizens or using the power of his office to punish anyone who speaks out against him. They will enable an authoritarian government that seeks to limit our first amendment rights and limit our rights to vote.

If Democrats win control of the House it’s true that they will not be able to pass significant legislation, but they will be able to block those things above. They will be able to protect health care for those with pre-existing conditions. They will be able to protect Social Security. They will be able to use their committee powers to investigate criminal behavior by the President, including issuing subpoenas to compel testimony from those involved.

Democrats can bring forth legislation that actually has bipartisan, majority support: a path for citizenship for DACA, universal background checks for gun purchases, lowering drug prices and campaign finance reform. (though the President or Senate could still block them). It would show people more clearly what each Party stands for and what their representatives are actually willing to vote for. As it is now, the Republican leadership controls what bills are brought to a vote and they simply block anything that the majority of their members (or donors) don’t want to pass and don’t want to have to vote against. It’s not how our system is supposed to work.

Control of committees, like the Ethics, Budget, and Judiciary, will give Democrats oversight to prevent abuses like we saw from Scott Pruitt and continue to see from Ryan Zinke. It will allow them to see why 200 immigrant children are still separated from their parents and put a stop to the tent city detainment centers. It will bring some level of accountability to a government that is currently acting without any significant oversight.

This election will not fix everything. Honestly, it might not even improve life for most of us. But it can make a big difference to those most disadvantaged. It can save lives by maintaining health care. It can start us on the road back to a sane and functioning if still corrupt and awful government. It may not be sufficient, but it is necessary.