GOP Holds the World Hostage to Help the Mega Rich
The GOP is desperate to overturn the Biden Administration's biggest accomplishments.
President Biden and the Democrats have done two things that the mega-corporations can’t stand: crack down on tax evasion and jumpstart the renewable energy transition. Republicans don’t have the votes to repeal them, so they are threatening to hurt people and destroy everything unless their mega-rich pals get what they want.
In recent news:
Opinion: Republicans say they want to cut debt, but tax plans say the opposite
By Natasha Sarin and Mark J. Mazur | The Washington Post | May 16, 2023Markey to Biden: Invoke 14th Amendment to save climate agenda
Kelly Garrity | Politico | May 18, 2023Wall Street Bosses Warn US Debt Talks Are Already Doing Damage
Katherine Doherty | Bloomberg News | May 16, 2023
Talking Points
Right now, the debate is about balancing budgets, cutting programs and work reporting requirements. Republicans are loving it, and we’re losing the battle over public opinion. We need to change the subject and put the Republicans on defense.
This conversation should be about how:
it is morally wrong to threaten millions, even billions of people to get what you want,
even calling into question whether or not America will pay its bills is causing immeasurable damage, and
this is really about corporate tax evasion and the climate crisis: Republicans’ real motives are to overturn two of the best things that Democrats and the Biden Administration have done for the American people, just to serve the interests of mega-rich tax cheats and greedy gas companies.
Feel free to use talking points without attribution. That’s what they’re for.
If asked about them, a plug for this newsletter is always appreciated!
Say this:
“President Biden and the Democratic Party are standing up to concentrated corporate power on behalf of the American people, and corporate power is using the Republican Party to fight back.”
“President Biden and the Democrats have done two things that the mega-corporations can’t stand: crack down on tax evasion and jumpstart the renewable energy transition. Republicans don’t have the votes to repeal them, so they are doing what they always do: threaten to hurt people and destroy everything unless their mega-rich pals get what they want.”
Let’s use “mega-rich” because “mega” sounds a lot like “MAGA.” The MAGA-rich?
“Defaulting would send the entire global economy into a Republican-made recession.”
We need to make it abundantly clear that it would be called “The Republican Recession.” We should repeat that term at every possible opportunity.
“Republicans’ threats to destroy the global economy and wreck America’s reputation and standing in the world are morally reprehensible. So why are they doing it? To please their tax-cheating buddies so they can keep getting rides on their private planes and super-yachts.”
“By calling into doubt the integrity and reliability of the United States government, Republicans have already damaged our global reputation and weakened America’s position as a world leader. Even considering not paying our bills is causing panic in the stock market. There is no justification for such reckless behavior.”
“There should be no question that America pays its bills. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution says that the validity of the public debt of the United States shall not be questioned. It doesn’t say, “shall not be defaulted on.” It says that it shall not even be questioned. The actions of Republicans in Congress are causing people to question whether the United States can be trusted to keep its word. That is unacceptable.”
“Honor is about doing what you said you were going to do. What we have here is a dine-and-dash. Republicans dined out on tax breaks for the super-rich, and now they want to skip out on the bill.”
“When you aren’t bringing in enough to pay your bills, you don’t threaten to default on your mortgage unless your family cuts down on food and medicine. You go out and earn more money.”
The only reason to respond to arguments about deficit reduction is to point out that Republicans are attempting to hide their real motives.
Say this:
“It’s (bullsh*t) political theater. Meeting their demands would actually make the deficit worse. All this talk about debt is a smokescreen to obscure their real motives.”
“The Republican demands are nothing short of a full repeal of the Biden Administration’s greatest accomplishments for the American people.”
“Republicans are demanding to repeal funding for the agents who investigate tax evasion, catch corporate criminals, and bring in billions in revenue.”
“The Biden Administration and the Democrats in Congress are putting more tax police on the beat to make the mega-rich and corporations pay their fair share.”
“Republicans want to repeal investments in renewable energy that we desperately need to keep our climate safe for human life, just because greedy gas companies want to maintain their record-breaking profits.”
“We voted to make these critical investments because we agreed that it was the right thing to do. Now Republicans want to get through threats what they couldn’t get through the democratic process.”
“The way to balance the budget is to make the mega-rich pay their fair share, and the Republicans refuse to even consider it, because the mega-rich are who they work for.”
Tough Talk
When we talk about Democrats “getting tough,” that doesn’t mean ramping up the character assassinations and the “Can you believe these people?” posts. Getting tough is using viscerally effective language and visual imagery to illustrate an important moral point: that they are threatening to hurt people if they don’t get their way. In this case, language that invokes the imagery of hostage taking or terrorist threats is fair game.
“It’s not negotiation. It’s extortion. They’re threatening to burn down the global economy if they don’t get their way.”
“You don’t get your way at the bargaining table by pointing an economic AR-15 at the heads of the American people.”
It is probably too late to say this:
“We will negotiate when you put the gun down. This is not how decent people are supposed to behave. There is a time and place for budget negotiations, and this is not it.”
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Strategy
We’re having the wrong debate.
The public debate will always be about something “debatable.” If a question is resolved, it will drop out of the public spotlight and be replaced with something we can argue about. The key is to pick the fight that gets everyone to argue about the things that we benefit from arguing about.
Right now, Republicans are setting the terms of this public debate. We’re trying to win the arguments that Republicans want us to have, and it’s not working. According to a new PBS poll, 6 in 10 adults say they want any increase in the debt limit to be coupled with agreed-upon terms for reducing the federal budget deficit.
Instead, let’s use the frames and talking points above to redirect the public debate toward the questions that put Republicans on the defensive and create opportunities for us to tell people what we stand for.
The right questions:
“Is it morally right to threaten millions, even billions of people to get what you want?” (We’re against holding people’s economic well-being hostage.)
“Does it hurt America to create doubt about whether or not we can be relied on to pay our bills?” (We’re fighting to protect the good name and integrity of our country.)
“Why are Republicans trying to repeal investments in renewable energy?” (We’re for renewable energy and a livable climate and against greedy gas companies.)
“Why are Republicans trying to repeal funding for increased tax law enforcement?” (We’re for people paying their fair share and against tax evasion by the mega-rich.)
“Whose side are they on? The American people or mega-rich tax cheats and greedy gas companies?” (We’re on the side of the American people against concentrated corporate power.)
The wrong question:
“Should there be more work requirements for federal aid programs?”
This is absolutely not the argument we should be having. We should, of course, not have more work requirements. Unfortunately, even bringing up this question makes people think about whether people “deserve” federal aid. This is one of Republicans’ favorite methods of dividing people and reinforcing their narrative of the “undeserving poor.”
Of all the questions we could be asking in this situation, this one puts us in the worst strategic position. I’d much rather be arguing that the Republican threat to not pay our bills is making America considerably less “great.”
Right questions. Wrong time?
“Which plan is better at reducing budget deficits?”
“Who is more fiscally responsible?”
We argue that our plan is better for reducing the deficit, and that Democrats historically have been better at deficit reduction than Republicans. While this is true, you can’t defeat a dominant narrative with numbers and facts.
People have been conditioned by decades of framing to think of fiscal responsibility in terms of cutting spending, and to perceive Republicans as being better at it. Republicans have established that narrative by refusing to even consider tax increases as part of a budget deal.
We can only beat that narrative by replacing it with a different and better narrative, one that gets people to think of fiscal responsibility in terms of making wise investments and then raising revenue by having everybody pay their fair share. This will require reframing the entire debate around investment, revenue and government as a whole.
Over time we can change that narrative, but right now, we are better off changing the subject of the debate entirely and forcing Republicans to defend their actions.
The Bottom Line
The “fiscal responsibility” smokescreen is just a cover story for Republicans’ real motive: rolling back the Biden Administration’s major accomplishments in tax fairness and renewable energy because they are willing to threaten the good name of our country and the financial well-being of the American people to do the bidding of mega-rich tax cheats and greedy gas companies.
Thanks, as always, for reading and subscribing! I hope you are able to use this in your work and your activism! Thank you for your patience with the irregular schedule as I develop the training workshop!
In solidarity,
Antonia
NOTES:
Previous Reframing America issues on this topic:
The words/expressions that stood out to me:
“Mega-rich” (modern day robber barons)
“Republican Recession”
“Extortion” instead of negotiation
“Dine-and-Dash” (leaving the rest of us hard working Americans to pick up the tab)
I also like the idea of focusing on raising revenue and making wise INVESTMENTS to BENEFIT all Americans instead of just talking about ‘spending cuts.’ The debt “crisis” is a result of loss of revenue caused by Republican tax cuts for their mega-rich donors, not the ‘spending’ side of the equation.