Following President Obama's State of the Union speech last night, the Republican Party called on Washington (state) Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers to respond. While I'll give the Washington Representative credit in that she didn't have a Bobby Jindal or Marco Rubio type of laugh-out-loud moment during her rebuttal, the speech possessed more vagueness than a horoscope, which says, "Ask a Magic 8-ball or something."
Here's my impression of her speech:
"Whatever the president said tonight, which wasn't much, didn't touch on the issues affecting most Americans' lives. Not only that, but he provided a more gloomy view of this country's future with whatever words he spoke. I, as a representative of the Republican Party, would like to offer you a brighter vision of the future. See the brightness and feel the warmth of that sunshine. See the flowers bloom and witness your life improving as well. That's what the Republican Party wants - we want everyone to be happy, and that can't happen if the government is a part in our lives. We want for you to control your own lives, your own health care - unless you're a woman like me. So, come and smile with me and help us make that happen. Let's allow God into our lives, to help bring out that warm sunshine, and give him full control to improve the greatest nation on earth - the United States of America. God bless you all and God bless the United States of America!"
What I really found to be ironically humorous about Representative Rodgers' speech was when she differentiated the president's claim of an "income inequality gap" with an "opportunity inequality gap" and wanting to close that gap, which has widened under this administration.
The president has called on Congress to, time and time again, close the pay gap between men and women in this country. Women make roughly around $0.77 to the $1.00 that men make for equal work. The gap is widening between the top earners in this country and the middle- and lower-classes. The president has also touched on this, in wanting to increase taxes for the top earners, continue tax breaks for the other two groups, and increase the minimum wage (and education opportunities). With Congress being about as useful as a blow-up doll in a boxing match, these issues have seemingly gone untouched for quite some time. So what was Congresswoman Rodgers really talking about?
Women are increasingly receiving more opportunities professionally, but still aren't being paid equally in terms of finances and with that, respect. The president has called on Congress to, along with providing them equal opportunities, provide women with equal pay and respect.
The income inequality gap is at a level not seen since the Great Depression. With minimal help from Congress, the president has longed to close this very gap to better the U.S. economy and its future on the whole.
While many Congressional Republicans have been quite supportive of defunding education in this country, the president has wanted to go the opposite direction. His reason? To provide greater (and with that, equal) opportunities for today's younger generations.
The Affordable Care Act has closed the opportunity gap quite substantially. Before it, millions of people were turned away because of pre-existing conditions, but that's no longer the case. Now, every single American has a legitimate opportunity of attaining health coverage.
Given all of that, I'm not fully understanding Ms. Rodgers' point regarding there not being an income inequality issue in this country, but an opportunity inequality one. The two are often times inter-linked.
Lastly, I found it to be, yet again, ironically humorous that the GOP selected a woman to be the responder to President Obama's address. This is a party that has fought tooth-and-nail to strip women of their abortion rights, contraception coverage, resisted equal pay, and fought to make it more difficult for them to vote. Do they really think that by allowing a woman to speak on their behalf is going to persuade women voters to go with their party on election day? As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. In the Congresswoman's speech, she said, "Republicans believe health care choices should be yours, not the government's." Not long before that read this headline - "House Republicans Pass Sweeping Anti-Abortion Bill."
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