Democrats in Congress have a duty to protect America’s refugees
Today marks the swearing in of the 116th United States Congress. Although Republicans have maintained a majority in the Senate, a blue wave has swept across the House of Representatives with 43 more Democrats than before. As the impasse over the government shutdown continues, a mercurial Trump faces pressure from the left to end the shutdown immediately.
The government shutdown has caused 800,000 government officials to continue working without pay or be forced to take unpaid leave. National parks and museums across the U.S have closed whilst they await the fate of the ongoing negotiations from both sides. It has all stemmed from Trump’s barbarous but consistent plan to build a wall across the U.S/Mexico border as a harsh tactic to deter refugees and migrants. The Democrats, logically representing public opinion, have expressed disgust of a proposed border wall. Instead, they have requested money to be spent enforcing border security without a wall in an attempt to beseech Trump to placate. Trump has asked for a $5 billion-dollar bill to construct the dreaded wall, whilst the Democrats have requested a lesser sum of $1.3bn to cover the cost of increased fencing and security measures.
It is undeniable that America’s border with Mexico and the migrants who wish to cross it have caused tribal politics and far right populism to grow immensely. It is horrifying to witness a country supposedly fronting the free world, who has a history of multiculturalism, resort to aggressive policies to combat immigration. With the border wall and the ban on citizens from Muslim-majority countries, it is clear Trump has mustered support amongst the former racist underbelly of America to then emerge as mainstream. With the Democrats retaining the House, a glimpse of hope, pragmatism and unification is near.
Americans who take pride in their refugee ancestry or their multicultural heritage must look at the Democrats as a way to calm the unpredictable Trump administration. Nancy Pelosi, expected to become the House Speaker once again, has urged the public to come together in times of division and cultural opposition. Her fellow Democrats are planning to do everything they can to either impeach the president, pass legislation that blocks his policies, or, prepare candidates for what will no doubt be a hostile and intense 2020 presidential election.
The Democrats have a responsibility to implement policies that equate to what the majority of voters wish for. With a self-aggrandising president keen on fulfilling his own ambitions, his apathetic tone and bellicose dialogue are doing wonders for his opponents on the left. Therefore, the battle really is between right or wrong, good or bad, moral or immoral. The abject discourse that America has succumbed to is a nightmare with no end in sight. If Trump reaches 2020, the Democrats should pick the most radical, anti-establishment candidate they can find. Bernie Sanders, the independent-minded democratic socialist, could be the party’s best bet in their bid for the White House in just under two years’ time.
Whilst 2020 certainly looms ahead, America must focus on now. Do they really want a border force who have seen two migrant children die under their watch? Do they really want a morally corrupt and rageful president being their representative? If not, then the Democratic party who have just convened in the new Congress, riled up more than ever, may be the solution.
