Dear Republican Senators and Representatives,
It’s not us, it’s you. We want to like you, we really do, but it’s time to have a hard conversation. We had high hopes in November when we began this journey, after being persuaded to vote on Election Day. You talked a good game and made plenty of promises, but when it came time to deliver, it became obvious you had only been telling us what we wanted to hear. Even worse, you were interested in someone else.
That someone else is yourself.
You are so absorbed in planning your next election and worrying about how you’ll be treated at the next Beltway cocktail party, that you can’t be bothered to think about us. We’ll be honest, this relationship must end, unless you are willing to make some dramatic improvements.
When you come back from recess, there are four ways you can show your love for this nation, and fix our dysfunctional relationship.
- Tax reform. We need cut taxes across the board to stimulate the economy and increase the United States’ competitiveness in global markets. U.S. corporate tax rates are among the highest in the world. By lowering the corporate tax rate, companies will be more willing to invest in the United States, thus creating stable, high paying jobs for our citizens. You must have the backbone to fight for us. You must stand up to leftist bullies, and you must reject the leftist critique of your work in order to make serious tax reform happen.
- Government shutdown. Let me give you a hint. Voters are attracted to politicians with conviction. That is how you ended up in office in the first place. We mistakenly believed you would stand on the principles you promised on the campaign trail. We mistakenly believed you would work to get ahead of the political narrative and finally prove that Democrats are the ones aiming to force a shutdown. We mistakenly believed you could artfully show that only 17 percent of the government shuts down during a “shutdown.” Obama made this as painful as possible for the American people. When Obama shut down the government, Republicans won more seats in the subsequent election. Of course, we need to guarantee military pay, but we also need you to stand up for the changes you promised. If you aren’t willing to shut down the government, we’re done. You can’t concede the fight to the Democrats from the get go.
- The Debt ceiling. Let’s be real here. Despite the fear mongering by the mainstream media, the United States is not going to default on our sovereign debt. The GOP should immediately pass a bill saying that Sovereign debt and payment to the military will be maintained, regardless of any failure on increasing the debt ceiling or government shutdown. In fact, use this as a serious negotiating chip to cut spending. Remember, the GOP is the majority.
- Healthcare. It feels like we’re always fighting about this, but could you please get back at it? You should consistently force a clean repeal. America was just fine without Obamacare for many years. We will be sponsoring primary challenges against any member of Congress who doesn’t support the repeal.
You can call it a primary challenge, or you can call it a break up. We’ve done our part to maintain this relationship. We supported you, we advocated for you, we donated money to you, we voted for you. Now, it’s your turn to do your part.
We are here. We want this to work. We are on your side, but we won’t be for long if you can’t follow through.
Sincerely,
The American Grassroots