Cruelty in speech and legislation seems to be the sole approach of a Republicon Congress and Trump administration. Seventy years ago, Democrats declared a war on poverty. Today, Republicons have declared war against people in poverty, led by Trump and Paul Ryan.
Food stamps, one of our more successful programs, helps feed the hungry and also gives farmers a helping hand. Ryan’s final days in Congress as House Speaker is marked by the cruelty of removing 1,000,000 hungry people from this vital aid. While SNAP is only a pittance of what is needed to feed themselves and their families, it is a lifeline for those starving.
The day after his wife announced “Be Best,” children’s health program, Trump asked Congress to cut $7 billion from the successful Children’ Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that serves nearly 8.3 million children.
To pay for his $70,000,000,000 “Wall” (whatever happened to Mexico paying?) we will give up governmental services including vital CO2 monitoring, PBS, libraries, Legal Aid, civil servants who run civilian programs, and of course, everything that makes ours The Great Society.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says that Americans need financial pain. While we scrape and struggle trying to stay afloat, Russia is making a fortune off our rising gas prices (6¢/gal. just last week;) prescription drugs remain on the verge of being unaffordable (another broken promise, Trump didn’t bother negotiating costs), and health insurance costs are skyrocketing because of Republicons’ successful efforts to decimate our national public health insurance program.
While Trump and friends live high on the hog, Trump’s trade war with China is killing hog farmers. It now costs more to raise a pig than it sells for, and if this continues, many farmers will go out of business. America’s iconic motorcycle, Harley Davidson is closing a U.S. factory because of higher steel prices.
Republicon leaders may want relegate us to living lives of quiet desperation; but, for the moment we still have a chance. Primary voting is May 22 and early voting has begun. Your choice shapes our future. Vote wisely. We are all suffering.