Congresswoman Susan Delbene (D-WA) used the five winning words every Progressive and Democrat should use when the how-to-pay-for-it message comes.
Congresswoman delivers the winning message
American families began getting deserved monthly checks based on the number of kids that they have. It was a part of the American Rescue Plan that Democrats passed. Not a single Republican voted for it. NPR reported it as follows.
If you have children under the age of 18, chances are good you’ll be getting some cash from the federal government this week. In fact, check your bank account — the money might already be there.
The White House says $15 billion in payments have been sent out to the families of nearly 60 million children as part of the expanded child tax credit. Families will receive the funds by direct deposit or check. How much you get will depend on income and number of eligible children.
It’s a huge undertaking by the IRS. The White House is describing the one-year expansion as historic relief to the largest number of working families ever. The changes are expected to cost over $100 billion.
In discussing all the monies going to Kentucky, McConnell, Senator for one of the states most dependent on government handouts, had an interesting take, as reported by MSNBC.
Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) office, for example, rejected the idea as “a blue-state bailout.” Conservative media quickly embraced the framing.
GOP opposition derailed the aid for months, though earlier this year, with Democrats in the majority, President Biden’s American Rescue Plan included robust state and local aid as part of a larger COVID relief initiative. At an event in Kentucky yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged the federal funding in ways that raised a few eyebrows.
“Not a single member of my party voted for [American Rescue Plan],” McConnell said. “So, you’re going to get a lot more money. I didn’t vote for it. But you’re going to get a lot more money. Cities and counties in Kentucky will get close to [$700 million] or $800 million. If you add up the total amount that will come into our state, $4 billion.”
More than a few congressional Republicans who opposed the Democrats’ COVID relief package have nevertheless tried to take credit for its investments, but McConnell’s message in Kentucky was a little different.
Indeed, the Republican’s pitch was oddly self-defeating: McConnell seemed to be congratulating his home state for the resources they’ll soon benefit from, while simultaneously insisting that if it were up to him, the resources wouldn’t exist.
McConnell didn’t literally tell Kentucky voters they should thank Democrats for the relief money, but that was the apparent subtext.
Now that the overdue support for the poor and the middle-class is flowing, We must put Republicans on the defensive. Whenever Progressives and Democrats propose middle-class solutions, Republicans and some centrist Democrats tend to balk. They always ask, ‘how will it get paid for?’
Congresswoman Susan Delbene’s response to Craig Melvin’s how-do-you-pay-for-it question was perfect.
“How can you not do it,” Rep. Delbene replied emphatically. “The estimate is that child poverty costs us around approximately one trillion dollars a year. Also, studies have shown that for every dollar we invest in the expanded child tax credit we save eight dollars. So not only is it a fiscally responsible thing to do, it also just leads to better outcomes for our kids.”
We never ask the how-do-you-pay-for-it question when we need to go to war. We do not ask that question when we provide underhanded tax giveaways. So how do we pay for Medicare for All? How do we not do it? How do we pay for child care? How do we not do it?
The argument should be that Republicans are willing to have their constituents die or live a life of poverty. They prefer that instead of asking their wealthy benefactors to pay what they owe. After all, they built their vast wealth from monies not paid the poor and middle-class and from taxes not paid.