Careful What You Wish For

In the historic 2010 mid-term elections voters worried about the economy and stubborn unemployment numbers gave Republicans an overwhelming victory both in the US House of Representatives and in state houses and legislatures all over the country.  Republicans enjoyed gains from independents, women voters and blue collar voters.  In fact, Republicans earned the majority (51%) of the women’s vote, something that has happened only a handful of times since the emergence of the gender gap in the 1980s. 

Even more surprising exit polls showed 62% of the blue collar vote went to Republicans.  This after the almost year long fight in 2010 to extend unemployment benefits to the long term unemployed.  Prominent Republican officials opposed to extending the benefits labeled the unemployed as “lazy”, “hobos”, “drug addicts” and “people with poor work habits”.  In the end the extension was only possible because President Obama and Congressional Democrats agreed to extend the Bush era tax cuts to the nation’s wealthiest citizens. 

Yet women and blue collar workers took a leap of faith that a change in leadership would lead to job creation and a healthier economy. 


So, let’s pause a moment to reflect on what the Republicans have actually proposed since taking control of the House of Representatives.  First up was the largely symbolic vote on H. R. 2 Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act.  It had no chance of passing the Senate but was an important nod to the base.  The next gift to the base was H.R.3 - No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act which when first proposed suggested changing the language regarding the exemption for rape to "forcible rape".  The language had to be removed after widespread criticism.

Now Congress is consumed in the fight over H.R. 1 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011. The bill and its amendments contain provisions to defund the Health Care Act, Planned Parenthood, Title X (comprehensive family planning and preventative health services), and the National Foundation on the Arts and cut Head Start programs 22.4%.  A review of the 583 proposed amendments is a soul-killing experience.  The issues that have traditionally been considered women’s issues - education, healthcare, programs for children, social welfare and housing are all clobbered by this legislation.

There has so far been no specific legislation related to job creation.  Indeed the most promising opportunity for long term job creation and innovation, alternative energy, is specifically targeted by amendments to H.R. 1 that expressly prohibit funds made available under the “Department of Energy, Energy Programs, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy” for being used for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, wind energy, solar energy, vehicle technologies, water power and industrial technologies. 

For weeks we have watched as states across the country have demolished collective bargaining rights for workers.  Now some states are considering, and Michigan has passed, legislation reducing maximum state unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks for the first time in over 50 years.  Workers of the world despair.

Research from the Pew Research Center suggests that only about 21% of voters in 2010 voted specifically to support Tea Party candidates and issues, yet it is clear that the Republican Party is catering to the extreme positions of their Tea Party supporters.  Now a radically conservative group of freshman Republicans in the House is refusing to negotiate their demands for the proposed budget cuts and amendments in H.R. 1 and are threatening a government shutdown if they don’t get what they want.  They are supported by prominent senior Republicans in the House and the Senate and it is uncertain if cooler heads will prevail.

Voters should have considered the consequences of electing candidates who so freely expressed their contempt for government institutions and the social safety net.  I expect they are doing so now.  Buyer’s remorse anyone?