Marco Rubio, Republican Senator from Florida, recently wrote an op-ed piece in which he alleges President "Obama fails the middle class". The op-ed was replete with emotional tributes to Miami, Florida, Mr Rubio's neighbors, and the contributions small businesses make to the American economy.
Unfortunately, like most Republicans and their conservative pundit cohorts in illusion and pain, either Mr Rubio does not have a mirror or refuses to look in one. In 2010, Marco Rubio was elected to represent the State of Florida in the U.S. Senate. After reading Mr Rubio's piece, one wonders where the senator from Florida has been the last four years, including the two years he has been a member of the Senate.
Mr Rubio makes a point of stressing the importance of a government that focuses on "strengthening our economy, empowering the middle class, and protecting American families." But, what contributions or obstructions has the Republican Party made on those three important areas. For starters, we should look at the Republican Controlled House of Representatives.
In the past four years the Republican controlled House of Representatives has passed more than: 40 bills on abortion, 110 bills on religion, 70 bills on family relations, 35 bills on marriage, 70 bills on firearms (none on gun control), 600 bills on taxation (none which benefit the middle class), and 425 bills on government investigations. While some of these bills encroach on the middle class including but not limited to its personal dignity, its privacy, andy its civil liberties, none of these bills-in spite of any protests to the contrary--are designed to strengthen the American economy, empower the middle class, or protect the American Family.
Furthermore, the Republican controlled House of Representatives have failed in at least: 33 attempts to Defund Obamacare, 15 attempts to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, and 3 attempts to cut funding for VA hospitals.
Finally, look at the bills that Republicans in the house have blocked: bills to aid small businesses, unemployment extensions, bank reform, numerous job bills, bills to strengthen America's infrastructure, tax break for corporations and companies that outsource jobs to other countries, wall street reform, mine safety, and bills to lower tax breaks for oil companies.
Please explain, Senator Marco Rubio, how these actions by Republicans either strengthen the USA economy, empower the middle class, or protect American families? If you decide to cop out by saying you serve in the U.S. Senate and not in the House Of Representatives, lets take a partial look at the U.S. Senate since you have been a member.
In September, 2012 GOP senators blocked the Veterans Bills which would have provided employment for veterans. In July 2012 GOP Senators blocked the Bring Jobs Home Act which provided a 20% tax break to corporations and businesses who outsourced jobs to foreign countries for the cost of bringing jobs back to the USA. How was this bad for the American economy and not good for the middle class?
Republicans in the Senate blocked the American Jobs Act and every other jobs bills offered by President Obama. And you and your Republican cohorts did all this while offering nothing for the American people in return.
There are many others Acts that Republican Senators have blocked, including, to name just a few: the Buffet Rule which would have set a minimum tax on millionaires and billionaires whose income have exploded while their tax rate has plummeted. GOP Senators blocked the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. AND Republicans blocked the Paycheck Fairness Act which would have given equal pay to women for doing the same work as men. This would have been a boon to middle class families and to single parent families where women are the only breadwinner.
Please, Mr Rubio, many more of the American people are not as emotional nor as stupid as the Republican Party would like to believe. The GOP can't continue to blame others for their failures. More importantly, the Republican Party can't continue to blame others others for their assault on the working class and the middle class.
If you want to move America forward, Mr Rubio, first understand that your angry face posturing and writing emotional sometimes erroneous op-eds that offer no solutions for and nor make contributions to working class and middle class Americans does not make you a leader.
If you want to be a leader, then contribute; don't obstruct. Americans are not as dumb as the GOP would like to believe.
