Agree to nothing
Thanks to a brand-new law 鈥� the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 鈥� technology companies all over the United States may get a boost in the production of computer chips that鈥檒l advance this country鈥檚 technology for decades.
Who could ever be against that?
Republicans!
When Democrats were busily pushing that legislation through Congress, 33 Senate Republicans and 187 Republicans in the House voted against it.
Many Republicans (not the 40 or so who joined Democrats to vote for it) just don鈥檛 seem to have much of an affection for technology, I suppose.
They don鈥檛 seem to care much about military veterans with serious illnesses, either.
The PACT Act, which President Biden signed into law on Aug. 10, will help tens of thousands of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Those veterans might suffer from diseases caused by toxic burn pits that were prevalent during their tours of duty.
Who could ever be against veterans and their health care?
Republicans!
First, Republicans caused the bill to stall in the Senate. But after a highly publicized shaming by comic Jon Stewart, the bill found its way to the Senate, where it was approved with an 86-11 vote.
Guess who the 11 no votes were? They were all Republicans.
And in the U.S. House, the vote on the PACT Act was 342-88 鈥� with every one of the no votes being Republicans.
There鈥檚 more. A lot more.
Republicans are quick to downplay the role of semi-automatic weapons with the spate of mass shootings in this country.
Get a Republican in front of a camera, and they鈥檒l tell you what鈥檚 needed is more mental health screenings, and school safety measures.
So, whenever Democrats crafted a gun safety bill that included both mental health screenings and school safety measures, who could be against that?
Republicans!
When Biden signed the 鈥淏ipartisan Safer Communities Act鈥� in late June, it was the first major gun safety legislation in three decades.
But many Republicans somehow found flaws in it.
In the House, the vote had been 234-193 鈥� with every one of the no votes coming from Republicans. (Fourteen House Republicans did vote with every House Democrat for the bill).
That鈥檚 despite Ohio鈥檚 famous 鈥渙wner of the libs,鈥� Jim Jordan (falsely) claiming that 鈥淭his bill takes rights away from law-abiding citizens.鈥�
No, it doesn鈥檛.
In the Senate, where the final vote was 69-30 鈥� all 30 of the no votes came from Republicans.
There鈥檚 more. There鈥檚 always more.
When Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice earlier this year, she won her Senate confirmation with a 53-47 vote.
Who could be against somebody as qualified as Jackson?
Republicans!
All 47 no votes came from Republicans.
Although, Republicans Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine, broke ranks and joined Democrats to vote for her.
It鈥檚 surprising Romney, Murkowski, and Collins aren鈥檛 barred from the Republican Party for their votes.
There鈥檚 more. There鈥檚 always more.
The dream of every president had been to sign an omnibus infrastructure law.
Joe Biden did just that in mid-November of last year.
The 鈥淚nfrastructure and Jobs Act鈥� will go a long way toward helping to shore up the nation鈥檚 roads, bridges, railroads, airports, and waterways.
Who could ever be against those?
(All together now) 鈥� Republicans!
When the bill was voted on in the House, it passed with a vote of 228-205.
Every Democrat voted for it. All but eight Republicans voted against it.
In the Senate, all of the 30 no votes were made by Republicans.
What was telling is the Republicans who were against the infrastructure bill, who now claim they support it.
Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas once said it 鈥渨ill only make matters worse and hold our country back.鈥�
But once the bill was signed into law, he soon made it a point to sing the praises of it, because it meant $75 million would be sent to his congressional district 鈥� as if he had anything to do with it.
He hadn鈥檛.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 50-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.