Greg Schildmeyer
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
We need to elect Democrats to Congress to restore checks and balances and protect our interests. One-party Republican control of the White House and Congress for the last two years has already seriously harmed us, and threatens us even more if we let it continue. Republicans in Congress have abandoned once-admirable core principles, such as standing for fiscal responsibility and strong foreign policy against Russia, and have totally ceded Congress’s constitutional role as a co-equal branch of government. Cowing to the Trump White House, they have:
• Reduced your access to, and raised your costs for health care through several strategies designed to sabotage the effective operation of the Affordable Care Act. They have done this with no viable Republican plan to replace it. They just want to see ACA fail, even though that would have serious detrimental effects on millions of Americans.
Majority Leader McConnell has declared that the Senate will renew attacks on the ACA if they retain a Republican majority in this election, despite Americans’ 50-40.4 percent favorable opinion of the ACA (RealClearPolitics average of polls, 10/24/2018).
• Passed a huge tax bonanza for Trump’s billionaire friends (with special breaks for real estate developers) and corporations, leaving the rest of us with little or no benefits. This exploded the federal deficit and worsened income inequality. OMB has projected a deficit in the coming year of $1.085 trillion despite a healthy economy. Mitch McConnell now wants to use the deficit as an excuse to cut the Social Security and Medicare benefits that we have paid for our entire working lives, as well as make cuts to Medicaid. (Mitch McConnell interview with Bloomberg, 10/16/2018.)
• Initiated an unnecessary trade war with China and other countries that increases prices for consumers, raises costs for manufacturers and retailers, and eliminates long-time markets for farmers in Missouri and elsewhere. So far, the depressing effect of this on the economy has largely offset the promised business stimulus of the Republican tax giveaway.
These are only three of the one-party actions that have directly affected us, in our jobs, our families, and our daily well-being. There are many more.
It is time to restore the checks and balances of effective government and return Congress to its proper constitutional role.