|
WHAT'S ON OUR MIND
Chaos ruled supreme in the House this week as the nation watched in amazement as Congress disintegrated into a historic jumbled mess. Witnessing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — no partner or friend to the Democrats — humiliatingly stripped of his leadership position was nothing to celebrate. This brought House business to a screeching halt. There are too many pressing issues facing our country that were not addressed this week because of the GOP’s circus.
Now the future of the House seems even more tumultuous. Both of the leading candidates for the Speakership have built their political careers on divisiveness. Their tone and rhetoric will sow more discontent within the Capitol and harm our country.
Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Steve Scalise (R-LA), the leading candidates for the Speakership, both have a history of embracing antisemitism. Scalise, as a LA State representative, attended and spoke at a convention of the white supremacist European American Unity and Rights Organization, a group founded by David Duke. He said he regretted it but never apologized, doubling down on his position by calling himself “David Duke without the baggage." Jordan once tweeted an antisemitic trope directed at billionaire Tom Styer, whose father is Jewish. These actions are inexcusable.
Now that Trump has eagerly stepped into the GOP mess by endorsing Jordan, he will be Jordan’s top patron. Jordan will be even more beholden to Trump and his dangerous messaging. At a time of rising antisemitism in our country, we cannot give hate a platform in Congress.
This week’s events will reverberate in Congress for quite some time. Sadly we have entered an even uglier time where the GOP extremists have gained an even stronger grip on Congress. Any GOP member that stands up to them will suffer the political consequences. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and his followers have only one agenda: political gain at any cost. The American people will be forced to live through their antics at the expense of the nation's good.
According to the Pew Study, a staggering 72 percent of American say they have an unfavorable view of Congress. This is the highest in nearly four decades of polling. Gaetz and his allies are damaging much more than the political career of Kevin McCarthy. They are endangering faith in our government.
Elections have consequences.
| 
