There are few constants in politics. Up until this point, two of those have been: 1. Don’t mess with veterans, and 2. Don’t screw with Social Security. Based on the last few years, that no longer seems to be the case.
One of the first instances of this change was probably our Republican representatives’ opposition to the PACT Act. The program established by the PACT Act benefits veterans, including around 10,000 in Idaho. It was designed to keep the promise America made to our veterans: if they lay their lives on the line, we will have their backs when they return.
Of course, the Idaho delegation members have excuses for opposing critical support for Idaho’s veterans. However, when you look at recent Republican actions to slash staff at the Veterans Administration (VA) and eliminate programs that provide jobs for veterans, those excuses seem tired.
It gets harder to believe those excuses when the Republicans seem determined to cut whatever they can to justify funding $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthy. It does not matter if those cuts betray those who have served our country with honor.
It’s not just veterans at risk. Republicans are now actively working to break Social Security. A few months ago, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee were grilling former commissioner Martin O’Malley about long hold times, long waits at local offices and the fact that their “constituents” want to talk with actual people (not automated systems or online forms).
It seems that, since January, they have had an epiphany. They no longer want people calling on the phones, and they no longer want people showing up at offices; in fact, they are closing dozens of offices, including some here in Idaho. Now, they want seniors to do everything online. Unsurprisingly, their plans are so ill-conceived that they have delayed some changes until later this month.
It gets worse. They are already setting expectations for a collapse of the system. Trump’s Commerce Secretary, confirmed by our Senators Crapo and Risch, commented on national television that most seniors wouldn’t mind if there is a delay in their checks. He said that the only people who would complain would be fraudsters and that they would know where to start investigating if people started calling.
More than 70 million Americans depend on Social Security. They paid for these benefits, and they are well-earned. Our most vulnerable populations are going to be hit the hardest. They depend on these monthly payments, and if they are delayed, you can bet they are going to call—not because they are fraudsters, but because they are trying to pay their rent or buy food.
Our seniors and veterans deserve better. We all do. It is time to start looking at representation that puts the needs of our citizens before the wants of the wealthy.
David Roth is a local educational consultant. He is Idaho’s national committeeman serving on the Democratic National Committee.