While many of us here in Hawaii are working hard to increase support and protections for working people and families, one of our only two members of the U.S. House of Representatives is fighting for the other side.

Note to regular subscribers: This is a slightly edited repost of a similar blog item posted a few days ago. I apologize for the confusion…but because of the timeliness of the voting occurring tonight or tomorrow…I decided to rewrite slightly and repost.

President Biden and the Democratic Majority in Congress are proposing to invest $3.5 trillion in social, human, and environmental infrastructure. The proposal would significantly increase investment in healthcare, affordable housing, environmental protection, education, children and family support, and climate change.

Hawaii Congressman Ed Case, together with 8 other Democrats in Congress have joined with the Republican Minority to block its passage.

We are presented with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make systemic change and the saboteurs come from within our own ranks.

Congressman Ed Case and his gang of 8 – need to be primaried. But first, please call his office in Washington DC at (202) 225-2726 or his Honolulu Office, 808-650-6688, and directly but politely request that he change his position and support this critically important measure. If you prefer email, his complete contact info is at https://case.house.gov/contact/
Please call today August 23 or at the latest, tomorrow August 24 by 6pm.

Who needs Republicans when you have Democrats like this? There, I said it. We need to elect Democrats who believe in and support the values and goals of the Democratic Party. Because of the very slim majority held by Democrats in the House, it is possible that Case’s maneuvering could indeed actually prevent the possibility of this critically important measure becoming a reality.

While characterized as “moderates” over and over again by national media, Congressman Case and the 8 other members of Congress he has joined with are not moderates at all. https://www.npr.org/2021/08/13/1027371749/moderate-house-democrats-infrastructure-budget-vote-pelosi

Recent national polling indicates that 58% of voters support passing the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan together using the reconciliation process. 82% of Democrats feel this way. Normal everyday people recognize that those who have more should pay more and that we are all in this together. These are not radical leftwing concepts.

Most people believe that workers deserve an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. Most also support free college tuition, paid sick leave, health care, and increased affordable housing. Recent studies also show that a majority of the population favor reduced military spending and believe that climate change is real and deserves immediate attention.

These 9 members of Congress are not “moderates”. Rather they are conservative corporatists, masquerading as moderates while cloaking themselves as Democrats.
What keeps them awake at night is not the man or woman living under the bridge, and it’s not the existential threat of climate change, nor is it the millions of innocent civilians that die in endless wars. What keeps them awake at night is worrying about the health and welfare of corporations and making sure the 1% is treated “fairly”.

82% of Democrats support passing this desperately needed package via the reconciliation process. Nearly every elected figure at every level of government in Hawaii is a member of the Democratic Party and is in support of passing this measure. U.S. Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, and Representative Kai Kahele have all expressed strong support for passage. There is a sufficient majority of Democrats in Congress to pass this IF Case and his gang of 9 don’t mess it all up.

Congressman Case is clearly out of touch with his Hawaii constituents and with his Party. Voters in Hawaii might consider giving him a call at his Washington DC Office at (202) 225-2726 and encourage him to reconsider his position.

Gary Hooser
http://www.garyhooser.com
Former Vice-Chair Democratic Party of Hawaii, former Hawaii State Senator

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