By Geoff Carter
Artwork by Michael DiMilo
These past few years have not been good for America. A deliberately planned insurrection at the Capitol Building on January 6th, 2021 nearly resulted in a successful coup. A million Americans died (a significant number of them needlessly) during the Covid pandemic—which is even now still lingering in the shadows. Mass shootings, including the massacre of grade-school children at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, are becoming increasingly frequent. And the Supreme Court struck down Roe -v- Wade, setting women’s reproductive rights back fifty years. Extreme weather events, raging wildfires, and widespread drought are on the increase because our government—along with others—choose to ignore, let alone change, the root causes of climate change.
What else? Public education and policies to establish racial and gender equity are under attack by politicians claiming they unfairly target—and upset—white students. White supremacist and militia group membership is growing across the country. The rich keep getting richer—to the point where they are building ridiculously expensive privatized space programs—and the poor (along with what’s left of the middle class) are getting poorer. Skyrocketing health care, higher education, and childcare costs are eviscerating our middle class. Many of these problems didn’t crop up overnight; some have been slowly developing—like colon cancer—for years.
Our federal and state governments seem locked in a deep paralysis. Extreme gerrymandering by Republican parties (see Wisconsin) has resulted in unfairly tilted local representation. Efforts have been underway to limit voting opportunities for citizens. In some states, early voting, voting by mail, and voter registrations are being restricted. It is now illegal to give water to voters waiting in line in the state of Georgia. As any Detroit Lions fan could tell you, it’s hard to keep hope alive after years of futility, but we could be at the beginning of what looks like sort of a miraculous political comeback.
Last week, in a surprise move, Senate Democrats announced agreement on an ambitious $369 billion dollar sweeping climate change bill that, according to most experts, will provide necessary measures to ensure the health of the planet. Holdout Senator Joe Manchin signaled his support of the bill, reversing his previous position. Also included in the bill are provisions for a fifteen-percent minimum corporate tax, subsidies for Obamacare, the right for Medicare to negotiate drug costs and cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors, and incentives for solar power, electric vehicles, and other alternative energy sources.
Perhaps even more surprising was the shrewd political maneuvering which allowed Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bypass the dreaded 60 vote filibuster which has hamstrung most of his meaningful legislation. By incorporating budget considerations into the bill, he was able to implement the reconciliation clause, surprising Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell with the tactic; so, if Schumer is able to corral all fifty Democratic senators, the bill will pass.
Then, on Thursday, the House passed the CHIPS bill which allocates billions of dollars of funding to domestic research and semiconductor manufacturing. Despite providing money for companies presently manufacturing computer chips, it also provides incentives for companies to begin new chip manufacturing facilities.
Also last week, the House held hearings about the sales and manufacture of semi-automatic assault-style weapons. Committee chairperson Carolyn Maloney of New York grilled gun manufacturer CEOs Christopher Killoy of Ruger and Marty Daniels of Daniel Defense about the sales of AR-15 style weapons used in the Uvalde, Highland Park, and Parkland massacres. According to CNN Politics, Maloney stated the committee found “five of the largest gun manufacturers made over a billion dollars during the last decade from sales of assault-style weapons to civilians.” The committee also provided findings that these gun manufacturers used marketing tactics aimed at young men and boys, using commercials that resemble first-person shooter video games and taking advantage of male insecurities. Whether these hearings will result in any meaningful legislation restricting the manufacture or distribution of assault rifles remains to be seen.
In light of the SCOTUS’s decision to overturn Roe -v- Wade, the House is also proposing legislation to protect a woman’s right to travel across state lines to get an abortion and is also attempting legislation to codify same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights.
And, of course, the January 6th Committee Hearings have done an outstanding job of investigating the cause and consequences of the Capitol riot, implicating members of Donald Trump’s legal team, his White House staff, and various members of Congress, including Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson. The hearings have painted a disturbing picture of a delusional and predatory leader who repeatedly conspired to overturn the results of a fair and just election. Once again, while it is uncertain whether any criminal charges will result from this investigation, this conspiracy to overthrow the American democracy has been fully and cogently explained to the American people and have exposed the Republican intent to continue sowing doubt about the electoral process.
For years, the Democratic seemed impotent in the face of the hegemonic solidarity of the Republican Party. Even with majorities in the House and Senate and a Democrat in the White House, they’ve struggled to get any meaningful legislation passed. They did pass a watered-down version President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill but further legislation stalled because of two Democratic holdouts. Until now.
It seems as if the Democrats have pulled a couple rabbits out of their hats. The Climate Bill, in particular, will bring about meaningful and immediate change for the health of the planet as well as relief for the middle class by taxing corporations and providing for Medicare drug pricing and Obamacare subsidies.
It’s hard to keep hope alive, especially—like a Detroit Lions fan—you’ve been disappointed so profoundly and so often, but these steps toward equity and sanity feel different than previous Democratic attempts, mostly because most Americans are in favor of tighter gun control, fair tax policies, policies to combat climate change, and a woman’s right to choose.
If the Democrats keep doing what the majority of Americans thinks the government should be doing, maybe the Republican death grip on Congress and our statehouses will finally be broken. If Democrats are doing the right thing, perhaps the voters will recognize that and vote for their own interests, instead of being hoodwinked into voting for the interests of the rich and powerful.
We can only hope.