Bi-Partisan Help

Bi-Partisan Help Works

Ignore it at our peril 

If there was ever a time for bi-partisan action to address a national crisis, this is that time. Unfortunately, the Republicans who represent Wisconsin in the United States House of Representatives and Senate chose to ignore the memo. All of them voted against the bi-partisan bill that provides relief to those impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak that even President Trump supports. 

Senator Ron Johnson has been the most vocal about his views on the pandemic we all face and his vote not to help any of us out. Johnson took to the airwaves afterwards, trying to put a positive spin on COVID-19 that shows how completely tone deaf he really is. 

Johnson’s remarks ring especially hollow to those without paid sick leave from their employers. As one of the few civilized countries without required paid sick leave, many Americans will feel pressured to go to work when they do not feel well, even though that will increase the chances of virus spread to more folks. The bill passed by the House and Senate and soon to be signed by the President provides some limited relief for working people, but even that meager response was too much for Johnson who believed it would “incentivize people to not show up for work.” Johnson apparently believes people should continue to go to work, even if exposed to or are already carrying the virus. He believes COVID-19 is not the same as Ebola, MERS and is less serious than the seasonal flu and cannot be allowed to harm the economy. 

Trying to calm the instant backlash his comments provoked, Johnson went further. “Right now, all people are hearing about are the deaths. I’m sure they are horrific, but the flip side of this is the vast majority of people who get coronavirus do survive.” He went further in comments to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel where he noted that only between 1 and 3.4 percent of the population would die. “But that means 97 to 99 percent will get through this and develop immunities and will be able to move beyond this. We don’t shut down our economy because tens of thousands of people die on highways. It’s a risk we accept so we can move about. We don’t shut down our economies because tens of thousands die from common flu,” Johnson proclaimed. 

Clearly, Johnson failed math in school. There are over 329 million Americans on our shores according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If the virus kills 3.4 percent of the population, then 9 million Americans will die. If the virus only kills one percent, it means over 3 million Americans will die.

Johnson’s numbers also show what medical experts fear most, that our healthcare system will be overwhelmed far beyond present capacities. Our healthcare system is just not prepared to handle significant numbers like these. Johnson also ignores the dangers of community spread of the virus, especially when it comes to the elderly and those at risk due to compromised immune systems.

We are faced with a conundrum. If we overreact to the crisis, there may be long term financial consequences to the economy. My 401K has already taken another substantial hit. But, what happens if we under-react? Our healthcare system will get over run and collapse under the weight of too many seriously ill and dying patients. This will increase community spread and kill far more of our citizens than a flattened curve of virus spread. Johnson has chosen to support under-reaction to our collective peril.

Democrats in the House and a majority of the Senate have taken timid first steps to provide some relief. Even President Trump is on board. GOP Senator Mitt Romney, famous for his 47 percent of us are moochers comments, now supports sending every American $1,000. 

Many of the dwindling tea party followers now claim that free virus tests, checks to families, paid sick leave for some and tax relief to businesses just amounts to more of the evil “socialism” they fear more than the virus. They and Johnson cling to their “I’ve got mine, you are on your own” mantra while going about their business out in public oblivious to community spread warnings. Those who see a creeping police state in mandatory close your public spaces and stay home orders will ignore them. They should send back those checks the government sends out to ease the pain.

My wife and I are grateful we do not have to go out and that those infected or exposed will not be coming over to visit. We see the government’s response as yet another halting step towards healthcare as a universal right which this latest crisis has writ large on the community wall. It is a time to come together and support those in need. We are all in this together.