From the most prestigious media outlets, such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, to local media outlets such as the Indiana Daily Student and the Herald Times, President Trump makes the news almost daily.
But while the United States focused on his latest tweet or the glances he receives from other political leaders, there have been more than a few scary bills introduced to Congress that we should be focusing on instead.
It’s crucial that we not let the petty issues with Trump distract us from the important decisions that are being made by our government.
While the following three bills are only a small number of those already introduced to Congress, they are among the most concerning and outrageous that I found.
House Resolution 861 would terminate the Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 31, 2018. The EPA exists to protect human health and environmental health by writing and enforcing relevant laws passed by congress.
The EPA has played a crucial role in protecting and ensuring the environmental health of our country. According to Scientific American Magazine, the EPA has helped in countless ways from helping with clean air and water initiatives to researching remedies for climate change.
Terminating the EPA would be devastating to us and to our environment.
House Resolution 899 proposes terminating the Department of Education on Dec. 31, 2018. The education department is responsible for many aspects of public education. According to Business Insider, the education department helps to allocate federal funds, conducts research and even handles civil rights issues including cases of discrimination.
Needless to say, the DOE has played a critical role in our education system, and I can’t imagine what would happen if the agency were to be terminated.
House Resolution 354 also known as the “Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2017” says that no federal funds for any purpose will go to Planned Parenthood if they are preforming abortions in that clinic.
What I find so incredibly ridiculous about this bill is the fact that no federal funding is used for abortions currently. The only purpose of this bill is to end abortions. It has nothing to do with funding issues.
Schoolhouse Rock may have had a point when it released the song, “I’m Just a Bill” – chances are that most of these senseless bills will never make it past congress, as they are too short, lack co-sponsors and are too extreme for even a Republican Congress.
Nevertheless it’s a scary thought that any of these bills might move through the process and become laws.
So while it may be entertaining to read about Trump’s latest social media outburst, we should be paying even more attention to what bills he’s putting his signature on and making sure that our voices are being heard by the people we’ve elected.
kkmeier@umail.iu.edu
