Many see this year’s elections as unimportant because a president will not be elected. On the contrary, there are many factors that make this election significant.
For example, the Dreamers — undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children — may become more active if the Democrats gain control of both houses. President Trump has attempted to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects these young people from deportation.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is leaving. He has wanted the national food stamp program to be dependent upon recipients having a job. The Democrats might raise the allotment for people who have a reason for not working, such as age.
Congress should also address rent prices. Elderly people feel it is necessary to live in safer areas because they cannot easily fight off attacks. Parents also need safer areas to live because they don’t want their children to be harmed by violence or gang activity. Yet safer areas usually command higher rents.
Congress is deciding whether to change a program intended to help poor people pay for their medication and hospital treatment. Hospitals that serve poor people may continue prescribing medicine long after the illness could have been cured. The patient and the community served by the hospital may not always receive the discount if the hospital decides to keep the government’s reimbursement for the services it provides.
If the Democrats regain control of the House, they would decide whether House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi would become Speaker again. Rumors suggest that some members of her party do not feel she is the best person for the job. If this is true, who would replace her? Would that person lean to the left or to the middle?
Then there is the Mexican border wall that we keep hearing about. Will that issue finally be determined, at least until the end of this presidential term? Do Americans want a wall or not?
Lastly, what about the immigrant children who were separated from their parents? The government was supposed to reduce the amount of time their parents had to wait before receiving a decision on whether they could or could not remain in this country. The construction of numerous huts in Texas indicates that a large number of children do not live with their parents. The issue may still remain unsettled. Did the children indicate to authorities that they prefer this situation? Could they have indicated that they thought their parents were irresponsible for entering the country?
Gwynette Smith is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.
