Dear Representative,
This government shutdown has been exhausting. Thank you for fighting for healthcare for all United States citizens. In a country as wealthy as we are, it baffles me why we can’t offer universal healthcare so that everyone is cared for and premiums are not affected by people that can’t pay their bills. Please keep fighting. Let’s talk about money.
As a related item, I hear that SNAP benefits are on the chopping block. If the government stays closed through November 1, SNAP will be held back. Please do what you can to open the government, but if that can’t happen, please protect the families that depend on these benefits. My family doesn’t meet the standard for these, but my best friend does, and we help where we can, but we can’t replace what SNAP gives her.
Another reason for this letter, is that I saw Representatives Melanie Stansbury and Angie Craig, in a video they posted on Facebook, explaining that Trump had promised $40 billion to Argentina. Regardless of the reasons they gave for this, doesn’t Congress have control over the purse strings? I personally don’t want to bail out Argentina. I would like my portion of the tax dollars to pay for our national debt.
In fact, I think it is more important to pay down our national debt than to add a ball room to the White House, built an Air Force base in Iowa for the use of training Qatar troops, or to federalize our military to use our military against our own people. I don’t know everything, but I remember being told the republicans were the party of the balanced budget, this is not that.
I want to share something personal with you. I am chronically ill and disabled. I rely on social security and my wife works 3 jobs to pay our bills. We are not fancy people. We have one car. It doesn’t run right now, and we can’t afford to replace it, but we are blessed because we have a friend who has an extra car that my wife has made a deal with to drive for the time being. We don’t drink alcohol, use drugs or smoke cigarettes. We don’t travel. We don’t go to the theater but we might splurge 1-2 times a year to see a movie. I buy almost all our clothes second hand. I cook most of our food from scratch because I have a lot of food sensitivities. We have a very short list of restaurants (based on whether I have gotten sick or not after eating there) that we might visit once a week. Did I mention we live in a hotel? It is impossible to save money to move when all your money goes to your rent. I know my story is slightly unique but not impossible.
Since June I have had a radiation treatment, 2 surgeries, many appointments with all my specialists, and lost at least 30 lbs. I did not have bariatric surgery. I have also continued to watch Trump and his cabinet and MAGAs that have done everything to make sure Trump is comfortable. Yet my anxiety is high. Even while I don’t read the news as often as I like and I leave the tv off until my wife gets home late at night.
I think it’s normal that I am having trouble finding my motivation since I have had so medical episodes back to back. But maybe this works as a metaphor for The United States. I have 14 diagnosed illnesses. Only one can be cured. But untreated, the one that can be cured, can kill me. The 13 diagnosis that can’t be cured, can be managed and with the right lifestyle choices, I can have decent quality of life.
I think lobbyist, manipulation, and anything that is not honest and black and white and pitting republicans against democrats or visa versa is like my cancer. We’ve had it a long time, but if we don’t get rid of it, we are doomed to die. Most of everything else is chronic and we have to learn to manage it efficiently, which means we have to very honest with ourselves, we must stop fighting, we must stop hating, and we must return to respecting our Constitution.
Sincerely,
Summer D Clemenson
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