Only One Choice
Over the years, I’ve voted for Democratic, Republican, and Independent politicians. I’ve never believed in voting red or blue down the ballot because while there is an overarching party agenda, each candidate brings their own positions and ideals.
Donald Trump changed all of that.
Trump bullied the Republican party into total loyalty. Even the politicians who warned how Trump would destroy the GOP are now dutiful sycophants, explaining away every horrible thing Trump says and does.
Despite being a minority of Republican politicians in Congress, MAGA became emboldened to force their extremist positions onto the legislative branch. When a Speaker of the House worked across the aisle to find a bipartisan agreement to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a government shutdown, MAGA ousted him from power.
The Republican party became the Trump/MAGA party, obstructionists who block solutions and unwind progress.
This is easily seen by comparing the legislation passed by the 117th Congress and the 118th.
The first two years saw Democrats with the House majority and a split Senate, including two conservative Democrats, Manchin and Senema. The 117the Congress accomplished the following:
American Rescue Plan
Millions of jobs were lost before the Biden administration began, and the pandemic was still going strong without vaccines. This bill provided funds to keep businesses operating and to rehire workers. It gave money directly to citizens. It expanded the child tax credit. It covered the cost of COBRA benefits for those who lost their jobs. And it gave money to states to increase police funding. Violent crime has decreased nationwide every year of the Biden-Harris administration.
Every Republican member of Congress voted against this bill.
Inflation Reduction Act
This bill allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices and enacted a $2000 per year cap on prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients. It passed a 15% minimum tax on large corporations and enacted a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks. It also staffed up the IRS to give them the manpower to hold wealthy tax cheats accountable. The IRS has already more than paid for this investment from the increased tax revenue they have collected. Meanwhile, there were no increases in taxes for people earning under $400,000 a year and no increase in tax enforcement for middle-class workers.
Beyond that, the largest portion of the IRA was the historic investment in green energy technology. Not only did this increase jobs, but it also raised the US to 40% emissions-free energy production in 2023, and over 90% of new energy capacity in 2024 was emissions-free, too. The US is on track to hit 80% emissions-free energy by 2030, and CO2 emissions are decreasing.
All Republicans in Congress either voted against this bill or did not vote. Between committee and floor votes, the GOP has voted to repeal this law 54 times since its passing.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
This bill was more bipartisan than the previous two but was opposed mainly by Republicans. Only 13 House Republicans and 19 Senate Republicans voted for this bill.
Thanks to this measure, infrastructure projects are happening nationwide, improving the lives of millions of Americans. Proposals for expanding broadband internet to rural areas have been approved for most states, and many projects are expected to break ground in the coming year. Despite continual obstruction from Republicans, money has been allocated to replace lead water pipes that still exist in many areas of the country.
CHIPS and Science Act
This bill caused a manufacturing jobs and factory investment boom, a hugely positive change after an overall loss of manufacturing jobs during the Trump administration. It brought hi-tech manufacturing back to the US, including critical current-generation microchips that had previously only been built overseas. This act was important beyond job creation in that it also provided important security around our technology, which gives us an edge over rival nations, such as China, in many sectors, including the military.
Only 24 House Republicans and 17 Senate Republicans voted to pass this bill. Recently, Donald Trump said he was still against the law. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told a reporter that repealing the CHIPS Act would be a priority under a Trump presidency and Republican Congress. However, he quickly walked back those remarks after the fallout was significant.
What happened in Congress once Republicans gained the House majority two years ago? Next to nothing. The 118th Congress has been the least productive in a century due to MAGA Republican obstruction.
Raising the debt ceiling came down to the wire as MAGA pushed for a devastating government shutdown. Budgets were passed six months late after numerous extensions again because of extreme MAGA positions of trying to cut all programs that benefit those who struggle while wanting more tax cuts for billionaires and corporations.
Republicans wasted their time with bills to “save” our appliances from their self-created boogiemen and on bills with misleading names, such as the Parent’s Bill of Rights, which was a bill to federalize school book bans and out trans students. The focus was on talking point bills that would go nowhere and allow Republicans to add fuel to their manufactured culture war. They also wasted time on baseless impeachments out of retaliation for the very real impeachments against Donald Trump.
Every major bill passed during the 118th Congress had more Democrat votes than Republicans despite Republicans having the House majority.
Maga Republicans took the obstruction and fringe positions of the Tea Party Republicans and cranked it up while including conspiracies and foreign propaganda into their official rhetoric.
Trump and MAGA bully the entire Republican party into obedience, which means any Republican majority is MAGA control, and MAGA is not in DC to govern. They’re there to obstruct all solutions to the nation's problems while trying to unwind progress by 50 to 100 years or more.
For that reason, Democrats are the right choice for the President, the House, and the Senate in every district across America. No party is perfect, nor will any party ever fully align with your positions, but 2024 is an election between progress and prosperity or extremism and authoritarianism. To pretend there are subtle nuances at play this year is to excuse away the severe issues surrounding Trump and MAGA for those who can’t fathom putting the country over party.
Vote to keep America on the right track and against hatred and fearmongering. Vote blue down the ballot.
