Unpleasant as it may be, let’s begin with a little Anthony Fauci:
“This is not going to be eradicated and it’s not going to be eliminated,” said Fauci on ABC’s This Week. “What’s going to happen is that we’re going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take in.”
The individual will have to decide? Careful Fauci —that sounds like personal agency, which really hasn’t been your jam throughout this global pandemic.
Despite that shockingly sensible statement from Fauci; members of the National Governors Association calling to leave the pandemic in the rearview; and a new study from the Committee to Unleash Prosperity stating the strictest economic and societal lockdowns did not save lives, but they did have severe consequences”; some Dems just don’t want to move on.
According to a report from the Washington Free Beacon, many Democratic offices remain shuttered across the country, even while the world around them gets back to work.
“The Free Beacon in recent weeks found that at least eight Democratic senators locked their constituents out of their taxpayer-funded offices and that over two dozen House Democrats’ in-district offices around the country are closed or inaccessible to constituents.”
The reason? COVID. Safety concerns? Maybe —but it also just sounds like they don’t want to show up for work.
“The Democrats’ office closures come as many elected officials are campaigning in-person and criss-crossing the country for in-person fundraisers,” the Beacon continues. “In New Hampshire, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D.) regularly hosts in-person campaign events but has her office closed due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, according to a sign posted on her office door. Last month, she attended an indoor campaign event alongside Rep. Chris Pappas (D., N.H.). A Free Beacon source found Pappas’s state offices also closed in the middle of the workday.”
That’s pretty damning. These offices are paid for by taxpayers. So, while the locations may be shuttered, Americans are still footing the bill for rent, operation costs, etc. For example, congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) spent $80K on rent fees for his office while keeping it closed.
While some don’t go into the office, a few don’t even go to Washington anymore. Rep. Kai Kahele (D-HI) has voted by proxy 120 times in 2022; in person, just five times. No explanation has been explained for his absence. Kahele blasted former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on the exact same issue, accusing her of not showing up for the state.
“What Hawaii needs is a full-time representative in Congress who will show up and whose sole focus is fighting on behalf of the people of the Second Congressional District,” Kahele said. “That’s the message I will be bringing to the people of Hawaii.”
President Joe Biden said “it’s time for Americans to get back to work.” I guess Dems decided, once again, they didn’t need to follow their own rules.
