Progress is a Public Good when the Country is Endangered
And both parties can create and enjoy it if they decide to
While the federal government has been busy distributing needed aid to American families, communities and states after the historic passage of the Biden/Harris Pandemic relief and rescue plan, the federal government’s third branch, the judicial, has also been extremely busy. The most evident is its swift and increasing pursuit of hundreds of the rioters who entered the building or assaulted people outside.
As an aside, can anyone explain exactly what Proud Boys are proud of?
The feds have also launched an internal investigation to determine if the FBI actually conducted an ordered investigation of a judicial nominee after the nominee was confronted with claims that he had been sexually aggressive and/or had physically assaulted them.
If Senators are to make reasoned judgments in confirmation hearings, it’s necessary for the FBI to investigate and report back fully and accurately. It’s surprising in the sense that the FBI is and must be impartial. Their loyalty is to the Constitution which bequeaths all power to us. Their personal beliefs about the qualifications of any nominee must be set aside to accomplish the national goal of obtaining the best justice for all.
The investigation might conclude that a proper investigation was made but it remains extraordinary that there’s a question about this, several years after the confirmation hearing.
Meanwhile, the executive branch of the federal government is making a stronger case for rebuilding or building our national physical infrastructure. Roads, bridges, buildings and wilderness areas that make our economy hum can be built with the addition of a major jobs plan. Infrastructure repairs and remodels are long overdue and stalling it could lead to more catastrophes.
The only opposition to this pragmatic, essential and lifesaving goal can be found in the misguided leadership of McConnell/McCarthy who lead the minority in Congress. Their opposition is rooted in partisanship, not what’s best for Americans.
There is no demonstrated reason or rationale for not taking care of our infrastructure before more people die when fresh fails occur. And they will occur with every year they put this major responsibility off.
Debates about whether the Senate should continue its filibuster policies, amend them or ditch them entirely are occurring. The Biden/Harris administration has attempted to avoid any changes in legislative policy while seeking negotiation and compromise with Senate Republicans but with zero Republican support for the Pandemic relief and rescue plan, they’re now being forced to rethink that approach.
Now Biden’s calling for the filibuster to return to its original rules which require longwinded speaking efforts that some members of the body may lack the strength to do. By making the Senators work more to block legislation the majority of Americans want, the thinking goes that Senators will find compromise easier. And now that Senators have voted to permit Congressional earmarks to be attached to bills once again, the pot has been sweetened in favor of more compromise.
The Biden-Harris administration is willing to share credit when critical legislation is passed. But if it grants a free pass for McConnell to Do Nothing repeatedly for the next two years, then there is no advantage to being in the majority of citizens, the majority of voters or of Congress. All power would be permanently switched to a smaller group of each.
No democracy can survive when the majority is denied its due right to representation. We recently experienced a major threat of its collapse. Is there any reason to advance the dangers of actual physical collapse and economic collapse?
The filibuster was created to grant a way that the minority could earn some say in the legislative proceedings. It was not originally intended to be a gift but a form of compensation. It’s not something enshrined in law or divinely inspired.
And when its use becomes constant - in utter disregard for national needs as our infrastructure crumbles - the question will eventually be whether the filibuster can be used responsibly or whether it represents a clear and present danger to us all and thus should be trashcanned completely.
These days require meeting the needs of all, not just the privileged few. And it’s up to Mitch McConnell to compromise and end his addiction to obstructionism or to lose the privilege of having any filibuster at all.
That’s what your federal government’s busy with lately. And people are approving of this new steady and reasonable direction in increasing numbers.
We’re all tired of the limits and losses and damages of the pandemic. And most of us are tired of accepting half-assed efforts at acting like adults who represent adults.
Do Nothing and Know Nothing - the McConnell/McCarthy policies of rejecting reality in favor of pretense and fiction - is, thankfully - doomed to fail before it takes us all down into a third-rate nation when we’re all perfectly capable of far better.
More violence and poor government is the choice of losers.
It also looks like there’s going to be a coming showdown to determine if the majority of the country - American women - will finally get truly equal rights as citizens.
If Republicans truly believe that the ERA will compel judges to provide women a clear path to choose to obtain an abortion, this is a clear Republican acknowledgment that they believe women cannot be equal without the right to have that option.
Is that the only argument they have left to oppose the ERA? Or do they also want to maintain the system that underpays millions of American women to benefit the wealthy few?
The bottom line is when any group or individual obtains a win for equal rights and equal justice, we all win. Justice is a mutual gain always.
There’s no stopping us if we try.