OPINION: A Jackhammer Is The Wrong Tool

By: Southwest Washington Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez 

We’re now [as of Saturday October 18th] in the third week of a reckless government shutdown, and the only thing either side can see eye to eye on is that it’s the other guy’s fault.

Meanwhile, folks all across Southwest Washington see this exercise for what it is — a partisan game of chicken that’s leaving their families and neighbors in the lurch. I agree with them. That’s why I could not in good conscience vote to shut down the government.

To be clear, I’m not trying to paper over the very real policy disagreement at hand. Health insurance is a good thing, and I agree with my Democratic colleagues that it’s worth fighting the Republicans’ agenda to curtail middle-class Americans’ access to it.

Both Sides Need To Prioritize Working Across The Aisle

But I stand with my community in the belief that I’d rather have a jalopy that runs than a fully insured new car that doesn’t. Congress’ reaction to a fight over health insurance tax credits shouldn’t be to enter a shutdown that closes up the casework shop at the Veterans Administration, putting veterans who need care in limbo.

Both sides need to prioritize working across the aisle — and carefully consider how we use the tools at our disposal.

Shutting the government down over policy differences is like bringing a jackhammer to a job that needs a chisel. Just because you have a powerful tool in your toolbox doesn’t mean you need to use it at the drop of a hat. Sometimes you need to use the old tools in different ways or change your angle of approach. Using a jackhammer for every job doesn’t just reduce the quality of work — it also can cause catastrophic damage.

This Could Be An Ongoing Issue

We’re going to continue to face shutdown threats every year if we keep looking at all our disagreements as an excuse to bust out the power tools. Shutdowns damage national confidence that representative democracy can sustain a functioning government and erode the bipartisan work ethic that is necessary to knit back together our polarized country.

I share many of my colleagues’ concerns that the Constitution is being disregarded. There have been clear attempts to undermine the separation of powers outlined in Article I and Congress’ clear constitutional duty to set spending priorities.

I’m also deeply opposed to some of the more concrete policy actions that have taken place over the last year. Medicaid cuts hurt my community. Corrections officers have told me firsthand that when public hospitals close down, our jails end up with mentally ill detainees whom they just aren’t equipped to detain, much less support.

We Need To Work Together

But the fact that we’ve reached this point does not mean that we use tools of last resort. Instead, it’s time to rebuild our arsenal.

Americans suffer when political machines take their ball and go home when party leaders don’t get exactly what they want. I’ll continue working in good faith to establish a truly deliberative democracy.