FDR started The New Deal to help the US economy recover from The Great Depression. A major part of The New Deal involved increased government spending for new programs and to create jobs. Social Security began during the Roosevelt administration. Republicans labelled what FDR did Socialism or Communism.
There have been four Presidents in the 21st century. Two Republicans and two Democrats. The Democrats are eloquent speakers, and honest men. The two Republicans were both deferred from military service for dubious reasons. Big tax cuts loomed large as accomplishments of George W. Bush and Donald J. Trump. The main benefits from the cuts went to rich Americans. There was a deep recession in 2008 which was the final year for Bush in office. It was up to Obama to rescue the auto industry and spend enough money to turn around the economy. Close to six years of growth under Obama carried over and was enhanced for Trump’s first three years in office. Trump used executive actions to repeal what Obama did. The stock market went up. Unemployment went down. Trump eliminated 68 environmental regulations+other for safety&a stock market now for mainly rich investors. The big reversal occurred with the arrival of the virus. Trump had no Federal plan to deal with it.
Now President Biden is busy undoing what Trump did with executive actions. Biden wants to govern in a bipartisan way if possible. However it seems unlikely that Congressional Republicans will vote for most of what Biden wants. Biden wants money for $1,400 stimulus checks, money for state and local governments, for vaccines, to raise the minimum wage, climate change, and other measures. Trump said climate change is a hoax. Miserly Republicans only want to give Biden $600 billion. Much smaller stimulus checks. Nothing for state and local governments. No increase over the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It is $14.00 an hour in California. When Trump was President on March 27, 2020, Congress easily passed a bill for $2 trillion dollars. A total of all appropriations in 2020 was over 5 trillion. Now Republicans are worried about how high the Federal deficit is. They are cheap with Biden in charge. The Republicans are hypocrites with selective amnesia.
Deuel Woodward resides in Chula Vista.
