Since the GOP became the House majority, they have delivered chaos, turmoil, and vitriol instead of healthcare, gun control, or lower prices for anyone
LANSING — Today marks the one-year anniversary of the MAGA Republican Party becoming the majority in the House of Representatives. From day one, this caucus has pushed its extremist and unpopular agenda over the will of the American people. Throughout the last year, they have attempted to stand in the way of progress by holding Americans and our economy hostage, stalling the budget, and putting forward legislation that would undermine our democracy and threaten our most fundamental rights.
On this anniversary of the GOP assuming the majority, the Michigan Democratic Party, including members of Michigan’s Congressional Delegation, Representatives Dan Kildee, Debbie Dingell, and Haley Stevens, released the following statements:
Representative Dan Kildee condemned the GOP majority saying, “Republicans have nothing to show for their majority. They have failed to pass a budget, failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and failed to pass bills to lower costs. This stands in stark contrast to when Democrats were in charge and passed new laws to lower prescription drug costs for families and seniors. In 2024, we must elect a Democratic majority in Congress to make progress for working people.”
Representative Debbie Dingell slammed Republicans saying, “Instead of focusing on the issues that matter to working Americans – like bringing down the costs of energy, groceries, and medicine – for the last year, House Republicans have been dealing in chaos and distractions, from ousting their own speaker, and threatening to shut down the government, to a political impeachment inquiry and empty partisan messaging bills. Meanwhile, Democrats are continuing to invest in America: unemployment is down, we’re creating millions of good-paying jobs and strengthening our domestic industries and supply chains. The stakes this fall couldn’t be clearer – we must retake control of the House and return our attention to the work we were elected to do.”
Representative Haley Stevens added, “With every passing day, MAGA House Republicans abandon their constituents, renege on their promises, and prove they either don’t know or don’t care about helping anyone but themselves. In their year in the majority, their radical caucus has brought the government to the brink of a shutdown, cycled through multiple ineffective speakers, and consistently undermined our democracy. Thankfully, President Biden, along with my fellow Michigan Democrats, has invested billions in health care, infrastructure, and growing the economy from the middle out.”
Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes also released a statement, saying:
“Over the past year, the only thing the MAGA Majority in the House has made clear to Michiganders is that they’re not capable of governing on any level. Republicans in Congress have spent the last 365 days dragging the country through utter chaos – wasting time and taxpayer dollars on endless political stunts while failing to deliver for Michigan’s working families. Despite the House GOP’s disastrous majority, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Michigan Democrats are still lowering costs, boosting the economy, and investing in America. Families in Michigan and across the country are reaping the benefits of Democratic leadership, no thanks to the House GOP.”
While MAGA Republicans have spent the year undermining progress, here’s a look at how President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats have countered their extremism and continued to deliver for Michiganders:
Creating Jobs and Raising Wages
- While Donald Trump left office with the worst jobs record of any president since the Great Depression, 14.1 million jobs have been created under President Biden, including 338.7k in Michigan alone, and unemployment has been under 4% for 22 months in a row.
Lowering Prescription Drug and Health Care Costs
- As Donald Trump and the rest of the MAGA 2024 field threaten to rip away health care from millions of Americans, the Biden-Harris administration has made it more affordable by capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month and taking on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug costs – saving 15 million Americans $800 per year on health insurance.
Tackling Inflation and Cracking Down on Junk Fees
- While MAGA Republicans shill for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations at the expense of the middle class, under President Biden, annual inflation fell to its lowest level in more than two and a half years, and the Biden-Harris administration has cracked down on hidden junk fees in airline tickets, banking, investment advice, health insurance, and apartment rentals, saving Americans billions of dollars per year.
Tackling the Climate Crisis, Lowering Energy Costs, and Protecting the Environment
- As Republicans continue to debate the existence of climate change, President Biden signed the largest investment in climate action ever with the Inflation Reduction Act — which has created 210,000 new clean energy jobs since August 2022 and spurred hundreds of billions of dollars in private sector investment that will create jobs and help families save an average of $500 per year on energy costs. Every single Republican in Congress voted against this bill.
Investing in America
- President Biden signed the largest infrastructure bill since the Eisenhower administration, and already announced $400 billion for 40,000 infrastructure projects across 4,500 communities, including $9.7B in Michigan alone — a stark contrast from Trump’s broken promises to rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.
Making America Safer From Gun Violence
- Even after losing countless lives to gun violence, Trump and MAGA Republicans have consistently put the gun lobby over the safety of our children. The Biden-Harris administration took on the gun lobby and passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first significant gun violence legislation in nearly 30 years, and created the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention in American history.
Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care
- Donald Trump’s Supreme Court appointees helped overturn Roe v. Wade, paving the way for Republicans across the country to strip away abortion rights. In the wake of that decision, President Biden signed executive orders to protect access to abortion, contraception, and the right to travel across state lines to access care to protect vulnerable communities from these antiquated laws.
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