“The Republican majority in the House has been hard at work delivering for the American people.” — 10th District U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | The Grand Old Party ran in 2022 on its “Commitment to America Plan.” Leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly trumpeted that if Republicans took the majority in the House, that in 2023 they would immediately address their priorities as outlined in that plan to fight inflation, secure the border and reduce illegal immigration, give parents more control over education, preserve our freedom, and support Medicare and Social Security.
Rep. Mike Collins represents the eastern part of Gwinnett County. He says that they are succeeding, giving legislation which has recently passed in the GOP House (see below). Based on the GOP’s own stated objectives, I strongly disagree with the representative.
But first some history. I have never met Mike Collins. But I knew his father, Rep. Mac Collins. My lake front house looked out over Butts County, his home county.
I was incoming chair of the Jasper County Commission when he was leaving office in 2005. We were both in the GOP (I was also chair of the Jasper County Republican Party) and we met at Republican events. I thought he was a decent guy, even though we may not have agreed on every topic.
I was still a Jasper County Republican in 2014 when Mike Collins ran against right-wing radical Jody Hice in the GOP primary. I was for Collins, having criticized Hice in various outlets, including this one. Collins lost that election, but eventually got into Congress last fall when Hice left to run unsuccessfully for Georgia Secretary of State (thank goodness for Georgia voters’ common sense in re-electing Brad Raffensperger.)
By then I had moved to Fayette County and switched to the Democratic Party. But I have tried to keep up with Congressman Collins, hoping he would be a force for moderation. However, he has not been that voice of reason that I hoped he would be.
In Collins’ recent correspondence to constituents, he stated that “delivering” means the House GOP passing laws which would:
- Repeal Covid-19 emergency laws, even though the pandemic is still with us;
- Remove the requirement for healthcare workers to be vaccinated, placing elderly nursing home patients in danger;
- Halt the ability of the City of Washington, D.C., to make its own laws governing law enforcement and voting.
Collins
Congressman Collins is also into passing meaningless resolutions, which includes complaining about President Biden not shooting down a Chinese balloon over the U.S., although the president approved the plan of action recommended by our generals, and moaning about “socialism,” a vague term used by GOP leaders in the past to vote against the creation of both Social Security and Medicare.
Once again, what does any of this have to do with the goals set out in the “Commitment to America Plan,” specifically to fight inflation, secure the border and reduce illegal immigration, give parents more control over education, preserve our freedom, and support Medicare and Social Security? The answer is clear: nothing at all.
It appears obvious to any reasonable observer that we now have a GOP-controlled House which will simply ignore important legislative priorities, such as those they themselves have outlined, to score dubious political points in an endless, meaningless culture war to “own the libs.”
Meanwhile, the House GOP leadership has not proposed any legislation to balance the budget, reform immigration, get big money out of politics, improve education, strengthen the economy and reform entitlements.
So much for what once was the Grand Old Party. It becomes clearer to me each day why I left it.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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