On April 17, Congressman Larson and CT Attorney General William Tong hosted an online discussion on the Trump Administration’s assault on our social safety net, including Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid, and what can be done in response.
Congressman Larson stressed the importance of Social Security as a resource for people, which never missed a payment, even in the worst part of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Larson condemned the firing of 7,000 federal workers who maintain Social Security and highlighted how Elon Musk, at Donald Trump’s direction, is seeking to privatize the institution to pay for the Trump administration’s proposed tax cuts for billionaires. He emphasized that while Republicans control the presidency and both chambers of Congress, states play a critical role in defending our institutions.
AG Tong followed up with what is happening at the state level: how Connecticut has joined other states in issuing legal challenges to the administration’s various actions. Tong stressed that our system has checks and balances, and that states can coordinate to provide a counterweight to federal power.
Q&A
The following are summaries of responses to questions posed by the audience.
What steps are Democrats taking or considering to block the administration’s actions, other than simply speaking out?
Larson: Speaking out is important, but not enough. We’ve introduced legislation to prevent the closing of regional offices. We advocate to our Republican colleagues. But we try to drive attention and media attention to the value of the programs under fire. The more people that are aware of this, the harder it is to gut the programs.
Tong: “Speaking out is incredibly important right now.” We are in a Constitutional crisis; we have selective non-compliance with court orders, including the Supreme Court. The answer is all of you speaking out and making this as hard as possible to accomplish. Congressman Larson is right: we need to lean on our Republican colleagues. We can work together (look at the Google antitrust case). We need to get Republicans to join us to stand up to this president on issues like social security, special education, and immigrants who power our economy. And of course, in our case, we’re suing left and right.
Will you fight for Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. after his illegal deportation to El Salvador, and stand up for the constitutional protections to which all citizens, immigrants, and visitors are entitled?
Tong: Both of us are fighting every single day. I was the first to sue to stop the president from denying birthright citizenship. We’re working on a legal strategy to help grad students who are being kidnapped and renditioned off the street. And yes, we’re worried about students here in UCONN. It is the state’s policy to respect, honor, and protect immigrants and immigrant families. I will stand up with other Attorneys General to prevent this attack on the American people and our civil rights.
Larson: Trump should bring Abrego Garcia home immediately. More than a hundred Democrats have signed a letter. I’m glad we have people like Attorney General Tong who can take action legally; it’s one thing to work legislatively, which can take time, but the law can move faster. We need to continue to put pressure on the government to do the right thing.
How and why is it legal for Elon Musk to be involved in the White House business the way he is?
Larson: It’s not. Even volunteers under the law need to disclose their records and earnings, but he’s been given a special status. Billionaires think that because they are billionaires they know better than the American people, but there’s a reason that the preamble to the Constitution starts with, “We, the people.”
Tong: Trump’s appointees violate several clauses and statutes. I get this question a lot: it’s clearly unlawful, why are they able to do this? The answer is – we are a country of laws. There’s no invisible hand from on high that makes our system function. At the end of the day, American Democracy requires all of us to play by the rules. It is one big honor system, and if someone openly flaunts the system, the people need to get out and put pressure on them to comply, to put things back into order.
What are you doing to protect Connecticut residents from the SAVE Act?
Larson: Not enough. The SAVE Act passed the House of Representatives and it is on its way to the Senate. The bill adds burdensome requirements to make it harder for Americans without passports, married women, and service members to vote. We should make it easier for everyone who is eligible to vote. In the Senate Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal are leading the charge against it. If people were serious about voting rights they would pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
Tong: The President is trying by executive order to implement key parts of the SAVE Act. We’re going to fight that tooth and nail in court. The right to vote, the franchise, is the fundamental right. If you compromise that right, millions upon millions of people, “then really we are lost.”
Takeaways
The Trump Administration’s harms need to be addressed by a comprehensive strategy. At the State Level, AG Tong and other attorneys general are filing legal actions to check the administration’s illegal actions. At the national level, Congressmen Larson and Democrats are trying to raise media and citizen awareness of the harms. Both these solutions require the mobilization of people to succeed. There is no authority that will compel anyone to file laws if the people do not insist upon laws being respected. The legislature cannot codify harms into law if the people, particularly the constituents of Republicans, demand that they stop.
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