Alright Georgians, the Next Step Towards Better Policy Is Yours
By: Cristian Nunez
Tags: Politics, Society, Congress, Georgia Elections, Election 2020

Alright Georgians, the Next Step Towards Better Policy Is Yours

While you desperately needed help, your Congress left you alone

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

While the Biden administration has been certified after recounts, the Congressional runoffs in Georgia keep ongoing. Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are facing Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff accordingly.

The elections that are happening in Georgia will define if the US gets a Democratic congress. As such, Democrats need to win the two seats while Republicans only need one. If Democrats win the two seats, then Congress will be divided evenly. When this happens, the Vice President gets to break the tie.

Today Congress passed the second round of stimulus relief, which will provide Americans with a whopping $600 check approximately by next week. Any aid during a global pandemic is appreciated. This money can go towards rent, paying back debt, or towards a saving account. No matter how little, it still helps.

However, we must sit and evaluate the efficiency that Congress used to operate. In contrast, our northern neighbor, Canada, had been more efficient at reaching out to their citizens with help. Their relief packages were not perfect, but we can certainly learn more about them.

Moreover, we can also learn from the actions taken by our legislative leaders. These actions define their stand towards the American interest. David Perdue, for example, chose to miss the second debate in Georgia’s runoffs. In contrast, when Kelly Loeffler was asked a yes or no question regarding Trump’s lost election, she stated, “President Trump has every right to use every legal recourse available.”

This kind of behavior from legislative leaders is an insult to America’s checks and balances. Here, we have a congressional leader who opposed the undeniable truth; Joe Biden won the election. Loeffler’s syntax was also very alarming. She reportedly repeated “radical liberal Raphael Warnock” 14 times during her debate time. That language alone made Loeffler’s speech look nothing but impersonal.

On January 5th, Georgians get to decide how power is going to be distributed. Meanwhile, it’s imperative to keep in mind everything that has been happening since March. Our government’s failed efforts led the country to a spike of deaths that we all feel this holiday.

Christmas is supposed to feel like a celebration of togetherness as we approach a brand new year. Instead, we all feel the loss of thousands of Americans. There is a high chance someone will be missing at the dinner table this year. America deserves a better congress.

America deserves a government body that can swiftly act towards collective needs. While the current administration has brought death, misrepresentation of values, and a horrible depiction of American democracy, it’s important to remember these details as voting comes for Georgians on January 5th.

A simple search for how much each individual is worth can open your eyes to what is going on. Do you think it’s acceptable for Congressional members to have the power of crafting policy while holding stocks at the same time? The answer is a simple no. They should not be able to.

Georgians, please remember where you politicians were while you had to break your back to stay afloat during a global pandemic. Helping the rich has never been the answer. A groundbreaking study published by David Hope and Julian Limberg provides insight into the conservative thinking that cutting tax for the rich will eventually boost the economy:

The incomes of the rich grew much faster in countries where tax rates were lowered. Instead of trickling down to the middle class, tax cuts for the rich may not accomplish much more than help the rich keep more of their riches and exacerbate income inequality, the research indicates.

We should not tolerate puppeteers toying with American democracy anymore. It’s no longer about whether Biden won the election. It’s about the picture we are painting of how divided we look in other nation’s eyes. The more divided we look, the more of an easy target we become.