Over the last 19 months, among other accomplishments, Congress has passed, and President Biden has signed, the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Each of those laws is designed to render assistance to Americans who are constantly forced to make hard choices among the pressing needs of their families, such as food, shelter, prescriptions, medical/child/elder care and education. Each law also contains provisions that ease the federal tax burden for most taxpayers while shifting more of that burden to individuals and corporations that can more easily bear it.

The other common denominator in these major accomplishments is their virtual or complete lack of support from Congressional Republicans. That lack of support includes the representative from PA District 16, who voted “no” on all three.

Putting aside the myriad other stark differences between the Democratic and Republican agendas for America, these pocketbook issues and answers highlight the difference in economic philosophy that has always been at or very near the center of our national political dialogue.

Despite their flaws, Democrats continue to aspire to lighten the load for “average” Americans. On the other hand, Republicans continue their aspiration to further comfort the comfortable. That is why all of us who take our only real power in this democratic republic — our vote — seriously should vote for Democrat Dan Pastore this fall to represent PA-16 in the United States House of Representatives.

Thank you for this forum.

Bob Fuhrman, Saxonburg