Divisiveness must end for country to move forward
By Ben Bright August 16, 2020
The word “divisive” has become commonplace when it comes to discussions of the political landscape in the United States. And as the country ramps up for the most contentious presidential campaign in recent history, this fracturing does not seem to have any hope of slowing down. With less than 90 days to go until the Nov. 3 general election, attack ads are pervasive from both sides, not only with the presidential race, but in lower ballot races all around the country.
Why is this happening, and is there anything that can be done to help bridge the gaping divide? Unfortunately this looks to be something where the bridges need to be built at the top, and the current leaders seem reluctant to do so. In the U.S. Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stymied almost every bill that has been sent to the Senate after being passed by the House of Representatives. With more than 400 bills currently sitting on his desk, McConnell has made it a point to attempt to block Democrats at every opportunity. Besides the bills from the past two years, his most famous partisan maneuver was four years ago, when McConnell blocked the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court by then-President Barack Obama following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. This posturing was purely political and set an extremely dangerous precedent. In over 200 years, the Senate had never stalled a nominee for the Supreme Court based solely on political reasons. McConnell went so far as to openly state, “Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.”
These types of blatant partisanship decisions are not in the best interest of the American people and should be avoided at all costs. Disagreeing on an issue is to be expected, but there absolutely must be discussion, and compromise, on these difficult issues. Elected officials have a duty to all of their constituents, not only those who are members of their particular political party, to be open to all ideas that may benefit the area in which they serve.
One good example of this is right here in Washington County with the natural gas industry. While many Democratic officials and candidates in urban areas oppose fracking, Democratic candidates in Washington County support a well-regulated, safe and clean natural gas industry that brings jobs and economic expansion to the county. Even presidential hopeful Joe Biden has been erroneously targeted as being anti-fracking, with numerous TV ads airing claiming he wants to end the industry. In reality, Biden has only stated that he wants to reimplement a ban on fracking on federal lands. This ban would have no effect on the state’s fracking industry, and actually could help it as oil and gas companies would continue to focus their resources in Pennsylvania instead of moving to other areas. While other politicians around the country may have suggested that there be a fracking ban, they do not represent Washington County. It is a disservice to elected officials and candidates to lump together all members of a political party as being for or against a particular issue in order to fit a narrative.
While politicians at the top can help bridge the divide through their actions, the American people can also do their part to bring a new sense of civility to politics. In particular, social media has become a breeding ground for hate and vitriol, pitting neighbors against each other, with much of the arguing attributed to politics. The freedom that the internet brings also gives people a sense of anonymity, allowing things to be said that one would never say in a face-to-face conversation. We need to bring respect back into our treatment of others with whom we may disagree. We need to learn to discuss issues rationally and realize that on some topics, there might not be a middle ground.
And there are issues where we must compromise and come together. Back in May, the House of Representatives passed a second coronavirus relief stimulus package called the HEROES Act. This package, while expensive, would have authorized another round of direct payments to Americans and extended the unemployment stimulus that aided so many during the past several months. However, the package stalled in the Senate, with little headway in reaching concessions on a compromise plan over the past three months. President Trump then recently issued executive orders related to these issues (though constitutionally he may not have the ability to do so). Instead of pushing Congress to come to an agreement, Trump took it upon himself to bridge the divide, and may have created bigger problems. One of his orders deferred the collection of payroll taxes for the year (they would still be owed by the taxpayer, just not until next year). But these taxes help fund Social Security and Medicare, so any reduction in collecting these monies would only create funding issues with those programs. Unlike when President Obama deferred payroll taxes back in the recession of 2011, there is no replacement of funds incorporated into this order. Lessening, or even eliminating, these programs would be disastrous to millions of American senior citizens and cannot be allowed to happen.
Another of Trump’s executive orders would give a $400 weekly stimulus to those on unemployment. This is down from the $600 that was previously given in the CARES Act, and also passed in the HEROES Act, but more than the $200 that was proposed by Republicans. The Trump Executive orders may not be able to be implemented though, as entirely new payroll systems would have to be created, placing an expensive burden on struggling businesses. Not to mention that only Congress has the ability to spend money, not the president, which may lead to lawsuits and intervention by the Supreme Court.
Democrats in Congress and here in Washington County fight for “kitchen table” issues that affect all of us. We fight for good-paying jobs that allow a person to support their family, affordable health care, and accessible and high-quality education for all. These issues affect all of our communities, and we need politicians who are willing to come to the table and find ways to bridge the divide to help improve the lives of all. With the current state of the world, we must put aside political differences and make decisions that will help our county, and our country, recover and thrive moving forward.
Ben Bright is chairman of the Washington County Democratic Committee.
