Rep. Lauren Necochea Hope is powerful. It keeps us striving toward a more perfect union.
It moves us to new solutions that make life better for the generations that come after us. The Democratic National Convention has been a huge injection of hope for Idaho and the country. Democrats have long seen an effective public sector crucial to our quality of life.
When too many seniors fell into crushing poverty, Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted Social Security. When soldiers home from war needed an education, President Roosevelt ushered in the G.
I. Bill, creating a career pathway for generations of veterans. Democratic President Lyndon Johnson enacted Medicare so older Americans could have health coverage the private market could not provide.
Notably, many of the big leaps forward in the 20th century were led by Democrats. But they had strong bipartisan support. In the past several decades, however, Republican lawmakers have changed tack.
Rather than sign onto popular policies that help Americans, they have embraced obstructionism. The debate over the Affordable Care Act is a prime example. President Obama was swept into office with Democratic control of Congress and a mandate to tackle health care affordability.
The ACA provisions are incredibly popular: tax credits so people can afford coverage, protections for preexisting conditions, marketplaces where health insurance companies compete, expanded Medicaid for people facing low wages, allowances for young Americ.