Pandemics ought to know better than to come during an election year.
Congress and the White House may be obsessed with posturing and demonizing most of the time during this hyperpartisan age, but when elections come near, cooperation stops, even in the face of disease.
That was clear in the way Republicans and Democrats failed to make even a half-hearted attempt to hammer out a negotiated second round of stimulus money this week. The message is clear: Don’t look for any more help at least until after Nov. 3, which is Election Day. Meanwhile, do look for Congress to kick the budget can further down the road by agreeing on another continuing resolution to keep spending at current levels through the election.
Without that, the government would shut down in October, and neither side sees that as good heading into an election.
Americans ought to consider this unacceptable.
When the economy began shutting down in March, Republicans and Democrats quickly agreed on a $2 trillion stimulus package to help people and businesses struggling through no fault of their own. Each American adult who fell under a generous income threshold got a check of at least $1,200, and unemployed workers received generous benefits to help them pay bills.
Members of both parties knew their constituents were struggling. The nation was gripped by a sense of urgency.
Now, that money has run out, but the need hasn’t. Many Americans still struggle in myriad ways because of the coronavirus. Some industries are teetering.
Airlines are laying off workers and cutting orders for new aircraft, which in turn hurts manufacturers and a host of related businesses. If major airlines go bankrupt or are forced to close, the ripple effects through the economy would be enormous. Demand for travel hasn’t ceased, but it has been put on hold.
Utahns should pay close attention to this trend. Salt Lake City is set to open a new airport next week, and Delta Airlines is vital to the local economy.
As for the budget, continuing resolutions are a form of escape coping, which psychologists define as a maladaptive method for avoiding stress points. In this case, the stresses involve the details of a federal budget, where each decision requires compromise and accountability. The budget involves 12 separate funding bills. Congress has passed none.
The lack of action on a second stimulus and a federal budget are colossal failures of leadership, and all sides in Washington are to blame.
Yes, Republicans and Democrats are far apart in terms of the amounts they would like included in a new stimulus package, but not so far that they would be incapable of compromise. Yes, budgeting might expose ideological inconsistencies as deals are crafted, but Congress is elected, in part, to budget.
We would like to see both sides work on separate bills funding various stimulus needs, beginning with those that are most likely to pass. The budget should be tackled in similar fashion. Campaigning can wait a few weeks.
Unfortunately, even a decision to do nothing is a form of action, with consequences.
The pandemic is an inconvenient reality during this election season. So is the shaky economic situation in which many Americans find themselves.
But real leadership rises under such circumstances. That’s what the American people should be demanding.