Political Party Agendas Matter

Ed Shaffer, Letter to the Editor, 05/03/2022

Editor:

A democratic system requires clear legislative agendas to properly operate. That is most important as we approach the midterm election in 2022.

Some Republican leaders have tried to avoid talking about their party’s agenda. A while back a reporter asked Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell what his agenda would be if his party regained the majority in the senate. He replied: “ask me when we win.”

Senator Rick Scott of Florida, the leader of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, did issue a proposed agenda, containing a number of very disturbing items. Some examples: 1) Increasing the taxes paid by a majority of lower and middle income Americans; 2) Establishing a “sunset clause” of five years for all Federal Legislation, which would mean that essential programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid would automatically expire in 5 years, with no guarantee that they would ever be reinstated; and 3) Cutting the funding of the Internal Revenue Service by 50%, which would create a huge safety net for wealthy tax cheats.

In stark contrast to this Republican agenda, Democrats want to cut taxes for the middle class, ensure that the wealthiest individuals pay their fair share, and guarantee the continuation and fiscal solvency of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

There are vast differences between the Republican and Democratic agendas. These differences provide a clear guide for the November midterm election.

Ed Shaffer

Galien