A quick word on “FEMA money going to immigrants.” If Congress has enacted a budget that requires a money stream for that purpose, that is what the Federal government is required to do. It’s the law, not incidentally enacted with the support of the House Republican majority. Trump might like to pretend that he or Biden can simply redirect the money by fiat, but that would be illegal. It would also violate the most basic feature of the U.S. Constitutional system, which vests “the power of the purse” in the U.S. Congress.
There is no trade-off between money for FEMA hurricane operations, and money for immigrants, or anything else. The gigantic Federal government can easily do both. The real constraint is the generalized political unease about higher taxes to pay for higher spending, something to which Democrats of course routine capitulate. There is also the idiotic debt ceiling. The culprits in all this can be seen in the mirror.
What should the Democrats do? It might be inadequate, but telling the truth would help. Lies disrupt rescue and relief efforts and should be hanging offenses. How powerful is shame? I would hate to stake my life on it, but I don’t see what else we would have.
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