Within the course of two days last week, House Republicans have clearly demonstrated their contempt and disinterest in actual governance and disdain for lower income and immigrant Americans.
On Wednesday, July 10, the GOP-lead House decided to refuse to consider the bipartisan Senate immigration bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants. They refuse to hold a conference committee with the Senate to reconcile differences. Says Republican Representative Tom Cotton of Arkansas, reform “should not be handed to a conference committee so that they can be reconciled with the Senate bill,” he said in the Wall Street Journal Thursday. As New York Times observed, “A refusal to sit at a bargaining table is another way of refusing to govern.” John McCain calls such an approach “wacko.” But the GOP seems to be hell-bent on harming immigrants, poor and lower income Americans, fearing actual compromise that has defined leadership in this country.
The House GOP wants to pick apart the Senate bill, rather than dealing with it comprehensively. In doing so, their obvious goal is to send immigration reform to a slow death, although polls clearly show that Americans want comprehensive, not piecemeal reform. Moreover, The Congressional Budget Office has said that reform will cut nearly $1 trillion from the deficit over two decades, and vastly increase GDP and the collection of payroll and other taxes. But the GOP’s obsession with the “amnesty” canard they’re pedaling has blinded them, even though the Senate bill’s path to citizenship is thirteen years, full of provisos that hardly makes it easy to achieve.
But wait-it gets worse. On Thursday, July 11, the House passed a farm bill stripped of any reference to the Food Stamp program, which has been included in farm bills for 40 years, since 1973. Ignoring the fact the program has lifted nearly 5 million out of poverty in 2012 and returns nearly $2 for every $1 dispensed in the program, the ideologically driven GOP, says The New York Times, has “contempt for anyone desperate enough to rely on government to help buy groceries.” Make no mistake-food stamps will be provided, but as conservative columnist Kathleen Parker said “Republicans managed to create yet another partisan problem where none existed,” and have adopted “self-immolation tactics.”
In extracting food stamps from the farm bill, GOP Representative Pete Sessions of Texas said “What we have carefully done is exclude some extraneous pieces.” Say what? Extraneous? 47 million people on food stamps is extraneous? The numbers of Americans on food stamps have increased largely due to the GOP’s attempts at austerity and cutbacks in programs for the poor, and their attempts to further subjugate the less fortunate to their ideological intransigence is insensitive, and grossly unfair, and inconsistent with the values of this country.
Parker goes on to say that what her fellow “Republicans are selling appeals to an ever-diminishing market that doesn’t even include their erstwhile allies in business and industry.” In insisting on legislating to appease this diminishing white conservative base, it’s fair to say that the only time Republicans will ever see the White House again is by taking the daily tour.
Richard Calkins is President of the Talbot County Democratic Forum
Joel Brandes says
The concern shown, by Democrats, for the welfare of Republicans, brings tears to my eyes. Those immigrants and poor people that have benefited from Democrat sponsored initiatives have some how managed to remain poor and illegal in spite of the largess bestowed upon them by their Democrat benefactors. In 1986 when amnesty was granted, the Hispanic Republican vote declined. The promised enhanced border security never materialized. The Countries motto is “IN GOD WE TRUST”, not politicos.
Tom Timberman says
Mr. Brandes is, I suspect, a Republic.
Tom Timberman
joel brandes says
Mr. Timberman:
Indeed I am a registered Republican. I might have been a Democrat if that party was still the party of Jefferson and Jackson. FYI- When Jackson left office the nation (for the last time) was free of debt. My thinking, today, is more Libertarian than Republican. The sad truth is that if the government were running the Sahara dessert, we would have a shortage of sand. There is a valid reason congress has a low approval rating. Most, if not all, politicians are bought and paid for by those who are only interested in what government can do for them.
Making people reliant on government handouts might be good for getting Democrat votes, but it does little to provide an incentive for the overall good. We are urged not to feed wild animals as it makes them too dependent and unable to fend for themselves. The same is true for people who are third or forth generation on welfare. Similarly immigrants once had to prove they would not be a burden too society before being allowed entry. Charity should not be a government responsibility. People did quite well before the government intruded into people helping people.
Stephan Sonn says
indeed the GOP is already dead.
hat you see as their proxy
is the zombie Tea Party
Stephan Sonn says
Apparently one of their greater debaters Tom.I would not want to have a pillow fight in his geriatric ward.
Hugh Silcox says
I remind Mr Brandes that the motto preferred by the Founders was E Pluribus Unum, “Out of Many, One.” While he, together with his Party, gloats over the plight of the disadvantaged and dispossessed, progressives work against huge challenges … and against Republican cynicism … to improve the individual lives of those he would dismiss as mere statistics and political fodder. Ask not for whom the bell tolls, Grand Old Party. It tolls for thee.
Stephan Sonn says
What a nasty bitter display of opinion this is.
Richard Calkins says
Largess? Food stamps average $133 monthly, and unemployment benefits average well below the poverty level. Hardly an incentive. The GOP’s austerity measures, as in Europe, have been ruinous to the economy
Keith Thompson says
Austerity is not a policy…austerity is what results from living beyond your means for too long. Austerity is usually not something that is done willingly but is something that one is forced to do out of necessity whether it’s a private citizen or a government.
The problem right now is that the current political paradigm is based on expanding the role of government (based on well financed special interests that benefit both status quo political parties) and then them debating on how best to pay for it. I’d like to change the paradigm to having a finite size of government that we can afford and then having the sides debating on the proper role and function of that finite government.
Stephan Sonn says
Austerity Keith is a political opinion
and therefor used as a tactic
in a conflict of varying philosophies.
It is not the absolute you make it out as.
You imposeing your opinion as if it were
a biblical edict rather than an alternative
Keith Thompson says
Stephan, however it is impossible to spend more money that you make for an infinite period of time. Austerity is the automatic end result unless you cut your spending or you raise your income (or both).
So here’s the compromise I’m willing to make. I will agree to raise the income (have my and everyone else’s taxes raised) if the raise in income is going to be used to get out of debt and reduce the size of government. If you’re going to simply raise everyone’s taxes in order to continue supporting an unsustainable increase in government, then you’re supporting the status quo that got us into the mess we have now. Anything that continues the status quo is not a compromise. What compromise are you willing to make?
Stephan Sonn says
The vice in your choice package precludes
an answer that solves the problem Keith.
The solution is out of the box that the box is in.
Stephan Sonn says
And the Big Box behind door number three has a message inside that says:
No matter how many Robber Barons and mega corporations foot the bill in taxes
there will never be enough money to level access to the fruits of fhe greater economy
but there will be a few perks accessible. Health care and food are not perks and
should not ever be on anybodies chopping block.
Fletcher R. Hall says
The White House tour is cancelled by order of the President. The death knell of the Republican Party is overblown and wishful thinking. Yes, the party needs to rethink several policies and initiatives. Regarding the immigration question President George W. Bush proposed an excellent guest worker program, which Democrats would never did pass the Congress. Concerning the farm bill, removing the food stamp provision is good ploicy as this action leaves adequate funding for a good five year farm bill, dealing with the future of American agriculture. By the way, the Department of Agriculture and the Land grant program, to help start colleges were both the result of the work of the administration Abraham Lincoln.
I ask Mr. Calkins, are many of the programs now being espoused by tghe administration ans enacted by Congress all serving al the American people or targeting voting blocks and helping establish a permanent under class?
Pete Buxtun says
I must agree that “death knell” may be an overstatement. Parties do change over the years though. Perhaps it is time for the GOP to work to embrace what the people actually want?
I’m a little mystified by the Lincoln reference. In his book Lincoln & Davis, the author Augustin Stucker writes :
“When Lincoln first joined the GOP it was led by men — then considered radicals — whose primary agenda was to free the slaves. Lincoln guided it towards being a moderate progressive party with a wide appeal to the majority of Americans, which helped him win the 1860 presidential election. Of course, he was also inadvertently aided by the 1860 Democrats splitting when conservative Southern Democrats attempted to hijack their party in demanding slavery be allowed to expand nationwide.
In observing the Democrats’ split, Lincoln became very aware of the dangers of a group seizing control of an entire party. When Radical Republicans frequently attempted to strong-arm Lincoln into following their policies alone and demonized conservative Republicans, Lincoln made it very clear he and the party were responsible to all Americans.”
Does this sound familiar? When any party caters to their particular radical bases, everyone loses.
Stephan Sonn says
The hungry certainly are a voting block Fletcher. If you and your ilk pull foodstamps from mom’s ans kids there will be a police state that suits yhu better than all your freedom talk I venture.
Keith Thompson says
Stephan, and you’re right in ways you probably haven’t considered. Yes, the hungry are a voting block but what are the hungry voting for? Are they voting for more opportunities to independently better themselves or are they voting for policies that further enable them to be dependent on the government. The problem is that if you increase the pool of people who are dependent on government, you lessen the pool of people who sustain it. This is precisely how you create the income discrepancy or the divide between the haves and the have-nots.
Stephan Sonn says
How would they vote if they were not hungry?
Keith Thompson says
Unless they are selfishly voting to get something from the government, they’re likely voting to be left alone. The larger point here is that the political status quo is built on the selfish notion that people are expecting government to do things for them that otherwise they would or should do themselves. It is as equally selfish for a corporate bigwig to vote for government subsidies as it is for a lazy person to vote to live on the government dole. The political status quo right now seems to be built on satisfying the wants of these two sets of selfish voters and any compromise between the two sides only entrenches the status quo.
I don’t object to folks who really need help (especially those who can’t help themselves due to illness or disability, etc.) getting that help from the government; but I think it is important to ask when does that help turn into enabling. To me, the idea of helping someone is teaching them how to help themselves. Our social welfare system as practiced now is becoming the equivalent of helping alcoholics by buying them more alcohol. I’d rather help a drunk by getting them into rehab. A part of helping one’s self is suffering consequences from bad decisions and working hard to overcome mistakes which is a perfect description of austerity.
Ultimately we get the government we deserve and we have the status quo because we keep selfishly voting for it. To me, the problem with the political status quo isn’t a political problem but a societal one. Either by choice or out of necessity, our society will change (what direction I don’t know) but when it does, our political structure will reflect that change.
Stephan Sonn says
I am personally aware of the ruse by which an infamous person person right here in Kent County beat the system on the taxpayers dime. And he was helped by one of Ken’s finest to set up a trust fund to do so.
Yes the recipient of a multi million dollar damages law suit living on welfare. So whose fault if one of our finest is party to this What can Social Services do against Kent County’s finest even if informed.
Welfare cheats are regular events but in such small numbers the cost of enforcement is prohibitive. So a guy with $750,00 in cash on hand , hidden in trust takes Food Stamps, Medicaid, energy help charitable grants and more from churches because one of Kent’s finest enables him to do so. And if not him then another lawyer would gladly do it.
And we spend time here bitching about $133 per month for legitimate clients who are suspect by the mere acceptance of help.
Move it up a few notches to corporate welfare.
Stephan Sonn says
Keith I am fully aware of the Libertarian take on the problem it is the impossibility with their solution as it does not apply to a post industrial society but it does impose impossible to achieve goals, of an agrarian mentality, unsuited to the modern world. and pleas do not lecture me about the redemptive nature and purity of Ayn and the founding f fathers.
Keith Thompson says
Stephan, no Ayn Rand lectures here (I’m not really a fan) but it is impossible to summarily dismiss something that has never been tried. What I do know is that what we have been doing isn’t working.
joe diamond says
Political parties come and go. They can all be replaced. Most citizens do not analyze how the strange actions that come out of Washington D.C. occure. They view events as acts of Congress; Congress passed the Patriot Act. So when you see that voting on a bill “went along party lines” you see a symptom of what is causing the problem. Voters send people the Senate and House of Representatives to represent their state and district. What often happens is, due to the seniority system within “party lines” , the will of the people is mixed with the will of the individual and his supporters, who has been seated for the longest time.
Likewise, any attempt to cross party lines and actually reach a consensus will be used in the next election to send an even more willing party stalwart to vote as instructed. The log jam builds. Less happens. Nobody can identify how Congressional action came about. There is enough blame to go around.
Joe
Stephan Sonn says
Welcome with a great article in a polite tone, Mr Calkins
Steve Payne says
Even The Heritage Foundation hates the House Farm Bill that just passed the House. The new spending in it is even more than the SNAP program that they totally eliminated.
https://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/06/how-farm-subsidies-harm-taxpayers-consumers-and-farmers-too
The one that failed last month wasn’t good enough for 62 Rs and no Democrats would vote for it because they put photo ID, drug testing, and lots of stuff like that on it. And what’s the deal with the closing of the White House Tours? The right wing TV and radio folks are going absolutely crazy over this ( when they’re not calling in about a plot to blow up the World Trade Center).
There’s many good Republican people and conservative ides but, in my opinion, most of their House members aren’t serious people. It’s just a show.
Stephan Sonn says
To borrow from Clockwork Orange, quite the horrashow indeed.
joe lill says
That was a very interesting article about the Farm Bill by The Heritage Foundation. I can see why The Heritage Foundation hated it but pro big agro business Republicans loved it. It’s a system of entitlements for those corporate farms who are already wealthy.
d lamotte says
Mr. Harris’ recent “Get over it” comment in regards to the death of Travon Martin is an example why the Republicans will fail to win
the Presidency. The devolution of the Republican party…no longer “grand” at all.
Stephan Sonn says
And just how long will the present template last
So that we can all get back to the nation’s business/