Faith, Ronald Reagan famously said, “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” That line aged like his little trickle-down economics experiment. Because I actually think the most terrifying words are: “We’re in a crisis, and the government doesn’t have a plan to get us out.” That's where we are now, Faith. Trump has spent his time in office systematically dismantling the agencies designed to protect us — and the crises caused by those cuts are already stacking up. Trump and Linda McMahon are gutting the Department of Education; they've already sliced the staff nearly in half. That means fewer resources for public schools and less support for the kids who need it most. We’re already seeing historic learning loss and lagging test scores for our kids. And while they’re cutting education funding, they’re squeezing student borrowers too. They’ve killed the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, forcing millions of borrowers to see monthly payments jump by $500 or more. These changes will affect not only those trying to repay their loans today but also those who can afford college in the future. Trump also hollowed out food safety oversight. His funding cuts to food safety oversight created ‘the perfect storm’ that slowed the government’s response to cyclosporiasis. Trump gutted the IRS, weakening one of the few agencies powerful enough to hold wealthy tax cheats and giant corporations accountable — while working people are left paying the price. This isn't about political philosophy. It's about real people getting hurt right now. Government isn't some abstract thing in Washington. It's the food safety inspector making sure your groceries won't poison your family. It's the public school teacher helping your kid discover what they're capable of. It's the IRS agent making sure a billionaire pays up. It's the scientist tracking the next pandemic or a cure for Alzheimer's. It's the worker enforcing the rules that stop corporations from cutting corners at your expense. The thing is, when government works, most of us don't even notice. We just get to live our lives. That's the whole point. For generations, we built a government that could tackle problems too big for any one family to solve alone. Trump is tearing that apart. And then he points at the wreckage and says: "See? Government doesn't work." That's backward. The answer to a government that isn't working isn't to make it incapable of working. The answer is to make it work better — and make sure it works for working people, not billionaires. And that is what I’m fighting for. Thanks for being a part of this, Elizabeth  |
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