Just prior to the Presidential primaries for the 2020 election, I wrote in response to a column written by Jerry Kremer that the coming political battle in this country was not between Democrat and Republican, but between what kind of Democrat.
One that would reclaim the mantle of the New Deal or a limp mirror of the Republican Party that would only distinguish itself by its stand on reproductive rights.
That prediction became more true than I could have possibly imagined. Today, the GOP is left with no real policy besides promoting hatred, intolerance and grievances. Dr. Suess is more important than actual health care.
The joke, as Benny Sarlin of NBC News wrote, is that “After 5,000 stories asking whether Democrats can govern with the Squad holding veto power, a similarly sized group of centrists is causing the most problems for the White House and leadership at pretty much every single step of the process.”
And indeed, we have the spectacle of our own Representative Kathleen Rice, who, in concert with two other Democratic “representatives” who have collected substantial donations from the Pharma industry, is tanking the President’s signature legislation on reducing medical prescription costs through Medicare. The rationale she offered, as you might expect, strains credulity. Or integrity.
Of the three, Ms. Rice has only received $8,500 in contributions. Apparently, she is looking for more. This is in exchange for costing the U.S. taxpayer $456 million.
This is not only one of the President’s key policy goals. The Democratic Party itself has been running on this plank for two election cycles.
One can almost forgive Mr. Sarlin’s use of the term “centrist” here. A “centrist” is not someone who sells out their constituents for a contribution. This being a family newspaper, you can come up with your own words.
Newsday labeled the three dissenting Democrats “moderates” as well. Pray tell, what is “moderate” about this?
And someone who seeks to deliver lower health care costs for the benefit of our population, while the Health Industrial Complex expropriates billions of dollars a day from it, isn’t a “progressive.” They’re doing their jobs.
How ironic is it, that the Long Island Democratic Leadership stoked fears of a Marxist uprising if we dared elect people who actually enacted public policy the public actually wants? The Route 25 crew, about as “Democratic” and “Progressive” as Harold Stassen, doesn’t seem to get that hard policy actually matters, and that being a rank careerist shouldn’t be a goal for an elected official.
You’re here to use your agency to make lives better, not run an employment agency.
Apparently, the Young Democrats being groomed as future office holders are no less cynical and bereft of any principles besides a paycheck as well.
Representative Suozzi is another example. Imagine threatening the House Leadership with legislative sabotage if they don’t deliver a tax cut for a tiny sliver of the wealthiest people in the country, or make common cause with outspoken seditionists on the ironically self-titled “Problem Solvers Caucus.”
Who indeed, are the “radicals.” here? Three Democratic representatives out of 224 who have signed on to the Medicare legislation, or the holdouts who were bought?
Show me what is “radical” about redressing regressive taxation. Is caucusing with outspoken seditionists a sign of “moderation?”
This country has been through a lot. The dot-com bust, 9/11, the waste of blood and treasure used for the mismanaged “War on Terror,” the economics of the “China Shock,” the 2008 financial crisis, COVID, and what looks like an attempt to overthrow a duly elected government.
This is not the time to maintain stasis. This is not the time to equate being a “moderate” with not accomplishing a sorely needed policy goal. This is not a time for Congresspeople to answer to money and not voters. This is the moment we need to seize to make long-overdue changes.
The die is not cast yet. Ms. Rice’s constituents and Nassau County Democrats can contact her office at campaign@kathleenrice.com or her office at (516) 739-3008 and urge her in no uncertain terms to support our President’s agenda, and let Medicare have the free hand it should have had for negotiating pharmaceutical prices it should have had all along.
Don’t let them get away with this.
Donald Davret
Roslyn
How could any reputable source publish a piece that alleges an elected official is bought without even the most meager of evidence pointing to that assertion? Donald is good at stringing words together, and he’d probably be a half decent writer if he could temper his opinion with facts. Ms Rice has raised millions of dollars for her campaigns, locally, statewide, and federal. Does he really expect us to believe that Ms. Rice is bought and paid for by Big Pharma because of $8,500? Seems like an awfully low amount to sell out for. Perhaps Ms. Rice is looking out for breast cancer and HIV patients who rely on treatment research? Perhaps Ms. Rice is *rightly* acknowledging that this robust Medicare Negotiation proposal wouldn’t see daylight in the Senate? Perhaps Donald needs a lesson in integrity. Don’t accuse someone for selling out when you have little… check that… NO proof.
You must be very naive as to how your government works, Jack.
In fact, one of the three Representatives obstructing this is Scott Peters was in favor of full Medicare negotiation. Until a six figure contribution was made to his re-election coffers.
This is how the sausage is made, Jack. Sorry to inform you that politicians are bought every day. That’s why K Street exists.
“How could any reputable source publish a piece that alleges an elected official is bought without even the most meager of evidence pointing to that assertion?”
How about the New York Times?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/15/upshot/democrats-stumble-drug-prices.html
Or David Sirota?
“The three conservative Democratic lawmakers threatening to kill their party’s drug pricing legislation have raked in roughly $1.6 million of campaign cash from donors in the pharmaceutical and health products industries. One of the lawmakers is the House’s single largest recipient of pharmaceutical industry campaign cash this election cycle, and another lawmaker’s immediate past chief of staff is now lobbying for drugmakers.
The threat from Democratic Representatives Kurt Schrader (OR), Scott Peters (CA), and Kathleen Rice (NY) comes just as the pharmaceutical industry’s top lobbying group announced a seven-figure ad campaign to vilify the Democratic legislation that aims to lower the cost of medicines for Americans now facing the world’s highest prescription drug prices.
At issue is House Democrats’ initiative to let Medicare use its bulk purchasing power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. That power — which is used by other industrialized countries to protect their citizens from exorbitant prices — has been promised by Democrats for years, and party leaders have been planning to include it as part of their sprawling $3.5 trillion infrastructure reconciliation effort.
On Wednesday, Schrader, Peters, and Rice helped vote the measure down in the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, blocking the legislation before it could come to the House floor for a vote. Even if the bill were to ultimately make it to the floor through another committee — which remains a possibility — Democrats only have a four-seat majority that allows them to pass legislation, so they can’t afford to lose any more votes.
“I understand that the pharmaceutical industry owns the Republican Party and that no Republican voted for this bill, but there is no excuse for every Democrat not supporting it,” said Vermont senator Bernie Sanders after the vote.”
I’m disappointed in her for sure, but she’s not a sell-out in the way this writer characterizes her. Representing the people means making hard choices, and I would have chosen differently. It’s a big blow to her reputation, and I hope it’s worth it.
If this isn’t selling out, what is? Don’t be naive. This is why your country looks the way it does