Grinding “Build Back Better” into Dust

At this point, it looks as though the extreme right-wing interests are going to prevail in grinding the “Build Back Better” bill into the pavement.  Some of the bravest and most committed souls in Congress haven’t given up, but it appears that America will have to move forward with essentially no progress in areas that the vast majority of voters support. The alternative is that Biden gets credit for something, and that’s unthinkable. 

This means no universal pre-k, affordable child care, paid family and medical leave, support for clean energy, climate resilience and electric transportation, tax cuts for the common American, higher education and workforce spending, affordable housing, expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, and prescription drugs available to all those who need them.

Similarly, we’re being stonewalled on voters’ rights and justice regarding the coup attempt.  Our capacity to control the  pandemic lies at the mercy of the anti-vaxxers.

I’m reminded of something I told my son when Trumpism became a thing: “You and I personally are not going to be affected by any of these atrocities. We’re not poor, uneducated, female, gay, Mexican, Muslim, or incapable of moving to parts of the country that are less ravaged by climate change.  The only thing that hurts us personally is that we actually care about other people and what life on this planet is going to be like as the future takes form.”