This blog piece was written by one of our students, Alice. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.
Dear Senator Manchin,
Over the past couple of weeks I have been increasingly frustrated with your conduct as Senator. While you have voted with Republicans 54% of the time during your time in the Senate, this isn’t even about partisanship.
You have refused to support bills that would vastly improve the quality of life for your constituents. In West Virginia, 55% of children live in a household with a low-wage worker. These people, working for a wage that isn’t nearly enough, are disproportionately hurt by voter suppression laws that have recently passed in your state. For example, just this year, S.B. 565 passed in the West Virginia legislature, shifting the 10-day early voting window by a few days, eliminating one Saturday that allows people who work to vote. The bill also eliminates the automatic voter-registration law previously established in your state. Now ask yourself, Senator Manchin, who does this hurt? The answer: people who work 40-hour weeks in minimum wage jobs. The For the People Act, a bill that you said you would not support, would expand these people’s access to the voting box, it would reduce the influence of money in politics, and attempt to strengthen our democracy. But you voted against it, and therefore, against thousands of your constituents. They deserve a senator who will fight ruthlessly to uphold Democracy, to uphold their rights.
But your failures don’t stop here. What about the 88,000 kids under 5 years old in West Virginia that could have access to universal preschool? Access to a brighter future and greater support? West Virginia currently has a shortage of affordable housing opportunities for those who live at or below the poverty line, a shortage that would surely be fixed with a sizable investment from the $3.1 trillion Infrastructure bill. Did you support this bill? Did you do everything you could to support those 88,000 kids and their families? No. In opposing this Infrastructure bill you are opposing greater investment in the people of our country and of the state you support. You are opposing sustainable energy, investment in Native American health initiatives, raising taxes on big corporations, providing paths to citizenship for immigrants, and so, so much more.
I know what the response is; “It’s too much money” , “It’s not the time” , “It’s too much change”. To that I say, who will be living here in 50 years? Who will have to deal with the consequences of your inaction, with climate change, the economy, and social safety net reforms? (Hint: not you!) Additionally, the US spent 725 billion dollars on defense in 2021, 3 times that of China, and 10 times that of Russia. America has seemingly endless amounts of money when it comes to defense spending, but when it comes to spending 3.5 trillion dollars over the next five years investing in our country, suddenly it’s too much? And in this context, we must keep in mind the new tax plan to account for the new bill. Those making less than $300,000 a year will not have to pay more than 7% of their income, while billionaires and big corporations will finally be held accountable to pay their fair share.
So I am asking you, Senator Manchin, to please consider the effects of how you vote. Consider futures you are derailing, the problems you aren’t solving, the people you are leaving stranded. Thank you.
Alice Kovarik
