By Laura Walling, Senior Director of Government Relations, Goodwill Industries International
One year has passed since many of us watched in horror as our democracy was under attack. As I reflect on that time, I looked back at the blog I wrote in the following days. It states, “This cannot be the norm, and our nation needs to begin healing. The divisiveness in our country has been festering for years and has reached an awful tipping point where people lost their lives.
We all need to play an active role in this healing. As a government relations professional, I will continue to advocate for bipartisan solutions that will help move our country forward while advancing the mission of Goodwill. I long for the days when I will be able to go back on the Hill and meet with dedicated public servants, and I have hope for better days ahead.”
Unfortunately, I don’t think the healing has begun. The toxic political environment is driving lawmakers and other public servants to retire, partisan political rhetoric continues, it is becoming increasingly difficult to garner bipartisan support needed to advance legislation, and the public is still not allowed to visit the Capitol given security concerns and the pandemic. That said, we should not be discouraged.
Despite challenges, Congress passed several measures last year including: a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package including direct payments to individuals, aid to state and local governments and expansion of the Paycheck Protection Program; the bipartisan infrastructure plan that included funding for broadband, digital skills infrastructure jobs and more; created a new federal holiday commemorating Juneteenth; and approved two separate increases to the debt limit.
The 2022 agenda is packed with more issues on the horizon before Congress breaks in advance of the mid-term elections. First, the Senate is going to vote on changing the filibuster rules in order to advance a voting rights measure. The Senate also needs to reignited negotiations to pass the Build Back Better bill, which includes investments in workforce development, paid leave, universal childcare and more. The February 18th deadline for funding the federal government looms near and appropriators haven’t reached an agreement on how much to spend in total, and sequestration (automatic cuts to federal spending on certain programs including Medicare) will begin on March 31st.
I firmly believe that it is the responsibility of all of us to continue to play an active role in our democracy if we want to keep it intact. In this new year, I resolve to continue to advocate for bipartisan policies that will help the people served by local Goodwill organizations, and I look forward to working with all of you – our advocates – who provide us with the date, the stories and the expertise to inform lawmakers and remind them of the issues that are truly important.
