As President Biden is sworn into office, he faces an uphill battle with the Republican-controlled Congress that has refused to do anything to help the economy after years of Donald Trump’s lies and deception. The latest example came when House Republicans, led by Kevin McCarthy, refused to raise the debt ceiling unless their party members were placated with far-right policies they knew would not benefit Americans.
The US economy remains fragile after experiencing job losses and economic disruption due to the pandemic. However, despite facing strong opposition in Washington, President Biden is still attempting to provide relief to struggling Americans. One of his first acts was inviting members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to the White House for a “bipartisan jobs package” meeting in February 2021. During this meeting, Biden urged Republicans to support a bill that would provide funding for two years until new party leadership takes over and can act responsibly on behalf of citizens instead of caving into party pressure.
Unfortunately, this meeting yielded no tangible results as Republicans refused to budge on any form of economic aid for the country or its citizens. While there have been some claims that it “could have gone worse”, there are no indications that Republicans will be willing to cooperate or compromise with Democrats in order to pass any type of meaningful legislation that could help stabilize the economy. This refusal puts further pressure on President Biden who has promised action on Covid-19 but is met with roadblocks at every turn from a Republican Party whose sole purpose seems to be obstructing anything put forward by Democrats regardless of how beneficial it could be for all Americans.
The current situation is a stark contrast from what was expected prior to the election when many believed that both parties would join forces in order to get through this difficult time together given its severity. Instead, what we are seeing now is a Republican Party more focused on its own interests than helping out citizens who need relief now more than ever before. This refusal will only hurt those who are already facing economic hardship due largely in part due to President Trump’s failed policies and lack of empathy during his presidency. It is up to President Biden and Democrats in Congress now more than ever before take action and fight for change even if Republicans refuse cooperation because doing nothing is not an option if we are going to restore our economy back into shape.
