House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi stood in front of the cameras in California not long after what had been a forgone conclusion happened, that being Democratic control of the House of Representatives
In short order she intoned:
“Tomorrow will be a new day in America.”
Come on, Nancy, give us a break.
“The victory is about restoring checks and balances to the Trump administration.”
Come on Nancy, give us a break.
“We (Democrats) have a responsibility to find common ground when we can and stand our ground when we can’t.”
Come on Nancy, give us a break.
There’s a need to bring us together because we’ve all had enough of division.”
Come on Nancy, give us a break.
Wouldn’t it have been better if she’d said something like this: “Tomorrow will be a new day in America, not because the Democrats have regained control of the House, but because God promised day would follow the night. We appreciate the fact that the under the Trump administration, the economy advanced an annualized 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2018, beating market expectations of 3.3 percent, the advance estimate shows. It follows a 4.2 percent growth in the previous period and we want to work with the administration to make sure nothing happens to knock this growth off track. We’re sure there’ll be times when we can find common ground and there’ll be times when we can’t, and when that happens we will work doubly hard to make sure the final outcome is what’s best for the country, not what’s best for our party. We do need to be brought together and that will take some hard work as evidenced by the bitterness of the Brett Kavanaugh hearing.”
Instead, here’s what we think she really meant: “Tomorrow will be a new day in America. We haven’t had one since January 3, 2011, when Republicans took control of the House. We’re going to keep Donald Trump so busy answering our subpoenas and appearing before our committees, he won’t have time to run the country. We want to find common ground on issues that are important to the American people, but when we can’t, the heck with what you think. About that division, if we don’t get our way, well … .”
We can’t recall a time when partisanship has been so rampant in politics.
And it not just partisanship, it’s the bitterness that accompanies the “we’ll get our way or else” attitude.
Pelosi and the Democrats will get to test their “new day” theory right away because she says that
major infrastructure legislation will be high on the party’s agenda.
“We will deliver a transformational investment in America’s infrastructure to create more good-paying jobs, rebuilding our roads, bridges, schools, water systems, broadband networks … housing and beyond,” she said in the wake of the Democratic takeover.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters at a news conference Wednesday that he had talked with Pelosi earlier that day.
“The one issue Leader Pelosi and I have discussed this morning where there could be a possible bipartisan agreement would be something on infrastructure.” He provided no details.
President Donald Trump had said last month that there’s “a possibility” that his administration and Democrats can “get along” with each other.
“They want infrastructure … I want infrastructure. There’s something that can bring us together.”
The new House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which could well be chaired by 17-term Rep. Pete DeFazio, D.-Ore., need only to reach on the shelf and pull down the plan written by Rep. Bill Shuster, the current T and I chairman who is leaving Congress.
Shuster’s plan calls for significant federal investment in infrastructure projects and grant programs through at least 2021. It includes billions of dollars in grant funding, as well as trillions in appropriations for projects of national significance, though the numbers — along with the rest of the proposal — are subject to change.
To provide at least partial funding, the draft calls for a 15-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline and a 20-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel. The increases would be phased in over a three-year period. At that point, the fees would be indexed to inflation before they are ultimately eliminated in September 2028.
We don’t anticipate Democratic interference in the work of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as FMCSA Administrator Ray Martinez is very capable of steering the agency’s work from the political highway.
Nancy, we do hope it’s a new day.
Most recently, from a political standpoint, the old ones have been pretty bad and your Democrats are as much to blame as your peers across the aisle.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
