Open letter to President Biden November 2022 column
Dear President Biden:
The November midterm elections are now behind us but there are still many questions confronting your Administration that the American people need answered. Here are a few of them.
You told the American people that “democracy is on the ballot”. If so, how can you justify the fact Democratic party PAC’s spent about $40 million in Republican primaries to help elect the most extreme person, including election deniers, become the Republican nominee. The theory was that such an extreme candidate would be easier for the Democratic nominee to defeat. This strategy apparently worked because Democrats won most of the elections involved. That said, the strategy risked putting Trump endorsed extremists in Congress and governors’ mansions. Is that ethical when democracy itself is on the ballot? Will Democrats do something similar in 2024?
On a related matter, MAGA Republicans are trying to enable states to send a Republican slate of electors for the Electoral College even if the Democratic nominee wins the most popular votes in their state. Since democracy is at risk will you pursue the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 (ECRA) as your top priority? That legislation is designed to assure the presidential candidate with the most votes in a state has his/her slate of electors sent to the Electoral College. If the ECRA is not past by both houses of Congress during the short lame duck session you may not be able to pass it at all.
Economy/Inflation. Our country is experiencing the worst inflation in 40 years. You have praised the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as an important step in taming this problem. The IRA contains many provisions, some of them laudable. However, will it reduce inflation? The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that “ the (IRA) would have a negligible effect on inflation… In calendar year 2023, inflation would probably be between 0.1 percentage point lower and 0.1 percentage point higher under the bill…”. If the CBO assessment is correct, what other plans do you have to lower the inflation rate?
The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates in its efforts to reduce inflation. Interest rate hikes tend to increase unemployment. Do you have a plan to deal with diminished employment prospects for American workers?
Immigration: In the last fiscal year 2.4 million migrants crossed over our southern border without the permission of our government. That is a 37% increase over the prior year. Do you have any plan to limit this uninvited migration? Please understand that this is a separate issue from legal immigration, which I wholeheartedly support.
Crime: Compared to 2019 major cities have experienced a 50% increase in homicides and a roughly 36% increase in aggravated assaults. By how much and how soon will your Safer America Plan, if passed by Congress, reduce those numbers?
The Tragedy of Drug Deaths was not a major election issue but it shouldn’t be ignored.
In 2021, 107,000 Americans died from a drug over-dose. Of these deaths about 60% were caused by fentanyl.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) “Mexican drug cartels are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States.” The cartels are even targeting children with multi-colored “rainbow” pills.
Do you have any plans to stem the importation of fentanyl and other deadly drugs?
Here is a foreign policy issue that hasn’t be on the radar screen yet but may be soon.
Israel: How will your Administration deal with the extreme right wing government that Israel’s November elections have brought to power? You are off to a good start. The Department of Justice announced that it will investigate the death of an American- Palestinian journalist who was apparently killed by an Israeli soldier . Our State Department condemned extremist parliament member Ben-Gvir for attending a memorial event honoring Meir Kahane, an influential, rabid anti-Arab racist. Ben -Gvir is one of several extremists that are likely to hold senior cabinet positions in the new government .He is in favor of expanding settlements , stripping Arab Israelis of their citizenship rights and deporting those he deems “traitor”.
According to our ambassador to Israel, “This is a country { Israel} that is a democracy with elected leadership and I intend to work with them. That said, we have to stand up for the things that we believe in. That’s what American values are about.”
What steps will you take if the new government in Israel proceeds with actions against West Bank Palestinians and/or Arab citizens of Israel that are grossly inconsistent with America values?
President Biden, our country is experiencing difficult and even dangerous times. Your answers to these questions will help Americans know what the next two years of your presidency may be like.