The Daily Gamecock

New year, new Congress, same old politics

Throughout the midterm elections, Republicans promised American voters that, if elected, their primary focus would be jobs.

They railed against the Obama administration and Democratic lawmakers for spending too much time and energy on health care reform and not enough of either on getting the country’s economic house in order.

Eager to take back control of the Congress, Republicans accused Democrats of being out of touch with the average American voter, who apparently cares more about extending tax cuts for Mark Zuckerberg and Warren Buffett than they do about providing unemployment insurance to millions of Americans who depend on these benefits for survival.

These arguments worked. Republicans took back control of the House and weakened Democrats’ majority in the Senate. The same folks who got paid for doing nothing for the past two years now have to prove to the American people that they can actually govern. Now that they are in charge of one-half of one-third of our federal government, will Republicans keep their “Pledge to America” to put our people back to work?

Will jobs really be the focus of the Republican Party, or can we expect more of the same from the party that opposed aid to small businesses and refused to extend unemployment insurance until President Barack Obama and Democrats agreed to extend tax cuts for the rich in this country?

Having watched the first few days of the 112th Congress live on C-SPAN, I am pleased to report that Republicans have kept their promise to the American people.

Republican legislators have proven to all of us, within the first week of this session, that they are concerned about jobs. They are determined to keep their own and will do whatever is necessary to ensure that Obama loses his in 2012.

Instead of drafting serious legislation to deal with the serious economic issues facing families across this country, Republicans spent the first few days of this legislative session engaging in political theater. I love and respect the Constitution of the United States just as much as the next American citizen, but instead of reading the document aloud to an empty House chamber, why not engage in the work that representatives are empowered to do by this great document? Instead of passing a symbolic repeal of health care reform that will be rejected by the Senate and the president, why not take on the difficult task of working in a bipartisan fashion to effect real, positive change in the lives of the American people?

I understand Republicans owe it to their base to keep their promise to repeal important pieces of legislation signed into law by Obama.  But this is politics as usual, and this type of politics will not improve our nation’s economy, nor will it put Americans back to work.

Families across this country are suffering, and they could not care less about the political games in Washington or the maneuvering in the nation’s capital. Our officials owe it to the American people to put politics aside and work. This country cannot afford anything less than that.


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