In the wake of the disastrous effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Americans have a clearer understanding of the Republican agenda that systemically benefits the privileged at the expense of the people. Even after these disastrous storms – where thousands of our fellow citizens were left behind – Republicans continue to push an agenda that doles out billions in handouts to companies like Halliburton and Bechtel. Yet the Republicans’ misplaced priorities did not begin or end with the Bush administration or these disasters.
Eleven years ago this week, Congressional Republicans signed the so-called “Contract with America,” pledging to “restore accountability to Congress” and “to end its cycle of scandal and disgrace.” But instead of reforming government, these so-called Republican “revolutionaries” created a racket – a lobbyist feeding frenzy that’s showered billions on corporations and left the American people behind.
More than one hundred Republicans, including my U.S. Representative Joe Barton, who signed the contract, still serve today. Since then, they have crafted law after law designed to benefit the bottom lines of big business and the privileged few at the expense of the rest of us who they are meant to represent. They passed a prescription drug bill that lined the pockets of pharmaceutical companies but failed to control sky-rocketing prescription drug prices, while getting a related bill through that prohibited imports of lower-priced drugs from Canada and other developed countries. By the way, this was only accomplished after they intentionally fudged the numbers that underestimated the bill’s cost (by billions) and blackmailed members of their own party into voting in its favor (so it could be used as political ammo in the 2004 election). Recently, though, they passed a bankruptcy bill that actually punishes the victims of financial crisis by allowing credit card companies to collect from them even after they are driven into bankruptcy from the loss of a job or a medical tragedy. They also just finished giving the energy industry its dream bill (i.e. the energy bill) that gives away billions in subsidies to oil and gas companies (who are already celebrating record profits from $65 oil) but leaves America more dependent on foreign oil. The bill also fails to address rising gas prices, exacerbates global warming, and surrenders American leadership in the green markets of the future.
As we’ve all watched the destruction and suffering along the Gulf Coast – the under-funded levee system, the utter lack of disaster preparedness, the waving of environmental health and safety regulations, the crushing poverty, and now reconstruction efforts that strip wage protections for reconstruction workers and provide no-bid contracts to Halliburton – we’ve seen the real face of the Republican revolution. It’s not pretty, and it’s not what most people want our great country to look like.
Yet Congressional Republicans are now gauging the public’s response to see if they can get away with their master plan to cut nearly a trillion dollars from vital national services, like student loans for me and you, health care for the poor and elderly, Amtrak, and eliminating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting -Ã again!
While the cost of rebuilding the Gulf Coast is huge, it is far less than what President Bush has given away in tax cuts to the wealthiest 1% of America since taking office.
The so-called “Republican revolution” may have been a success for elite corporate interests, but it has reached its peak and is finally uncovering what Republicans truly stand for: an every man for himself, uncompromising, ideologically run society; in other words – fascism.
I hope Rep. Barton and his wife are proud of his incompetence and treachery. He sits in a very comfortable political position in a very Republican Texas district, which will probably never change. But politicians like Barton will soon realize (2006 elections) that they are responsible for the political backlash against his party’s empty promises.
Joseph Grinnell is a senior economics and environmental science major. He may be reached at [email protected].
