REPUBLICAN VALUES/AMERICAN VALUES

December 5, 2017

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher,

101 Main Street #380

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Dear Congressman,

Re: Republican values/American values

Here are two of your senators in recent statements:

Sen. Orrin Hatch, speaking of the Children’s Health Insurance Program: “I have a rough time wanting to spend billions and billions and trillions of dollars to help people who won’t help themselves, who won’t lift a finger, and expect the federal government to do everything.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley, speaking of the estate tax repeal: “I think not having the estate tax recognizes the people that are investing — as opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it’s on booze or women or movies.”

I don’t know about you, Congressman, but these are not the values that reflect my understanding of what America is (or was) was all about.

I see the word “victory” bandied about in the media, with reference to your tax reform bill. But no, it’s not a victory. May I suggest what a victory would look like? It would not be a victory from Trump, as some suggest; it would not be a victory for the smugly grinning Mitch McConnell and his band of Republican senators; it would be a victory for the American people. A real victory would not be achieved in secret, without debate, without consultation. A real victory would not be partisan, one-sided, a bonus for the rich. A real victory would be inclusive. It would result from a collaboration between Republicans and Democrats, with the ideas of each reflected in the content. And it would benefit those in need as much as those who can afford to fend for themselves.

The next step along this despicable path is for Republicans to start shredding the social safety net, in order to pay for these tax cuts for the rich.  Will you be a part of that?

Respectfully,

Peter Clothier, Ph.D.