Photo courtesy of Darren Halstead on Unsplash

The run-up to the 2022 midterm elections has been a fiasco. Polls have been changing drastically and the range of issues has been vast. While Republicans seem destined to win the House, margins in the Senate are razor thin. If one thing has defined this election, it would be uncertainty. 

Democrats have had an incredibly successful two years, passing some of the most ambitious legislation in decades. The American Rescue Plan, passed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided small businesses with the means to stay afloat, families with cash assistance and individuals with direct payments. The act essentially got people to work and provided for those who couldn’t. 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act invested more than $1 trillion into U.S. roads and bridges, water infrastructure, internet access and clean energy. The White House believes the act will “grow the economy, enhance our competitiveness, create good jobs and make our economy more sustainable, resilient and just.”

The Inflation Reduction Act provided sweeping climate reforms and invested billions of dollars into clean energy, while being fiscally responsible and raising revenue to cover the costs. The act also expanded Affordable Care Act programs and, for the first-time, authorized Medicare to negotiate drug prices. 

Democrats have shown they can roll up their sleeves and pass popular legislation; Republicans, on the other hand, continue to deceive and stoke baseless fears while putting forward no serious proposals. 

Inflation is a hot issue this election cycle, and Democrats have missed their mark in the amount of campaign attention allotted to it. While Republicans have pointed at President Joe Biden as the “boogeyman” of inflation, Democrats have mostly ignored it. Even though their campaign rhetoric has been flawed, their attempts at combating rising prices and building a fortified economy have been relatively successful. 

Inflation is a global phenomenon, and the United States isn’t even in the top 25 worst countries, with nearly all of Europe ahead. 

Unemployment claims have been down, and production has been improving, while other economic metrics have been mostly steady. While the economy isn’t booming, it’s relatively stable. COVID-19 sent global markets into a spiral, and the war in Ukraine has made it worse – any movements coming out of a period of such shock are expected to be chaotic. 

Democrats have prioritized getting America back on its feet and securing economic stability. The Federal Reserve has been cautious, walking a fine line between attempting to tame inflation while trying not to cause a recession. 

While rising prices are a cause of inflation, corporations are also at fault. The aggregate profits of corporations soared to record levels in the second quarter of 2022, suggesting that companies are raising prices to not only cover rising costs but to also quench their greed. In May, every single Republican voted against a measure that would prohibit gas companies from collecting excessive profits during the crisis. Republicans advocate for an open market, where companies can rip off and endanger consumers whenever they want, where inflation runs rampant without any intervention and where the American people suffer under corporate tyranny. Prices are high and consumers are hurt, but Republicans have no plans to fix it. 

Democrats have been steadfast in their attack on Republicans for the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson that overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated a person’s right to an abortion. 

As American public opinion leans more in support of abortion rights, Republicans were hit hard at the polls for their anti-abortion views. While Democrats can’t do much to change the court’s decision, their majority stands in the way of Republicans passing a national law to prohibit abortions in every situation. 

We’re already seeing the effects of Republican anti-abortion laws across the country: doctors are unsure whether they can provide necessary healthcare, and children are punished for receiving abortions after being raped. These are the stakes. 

Democrats aren’t perfect, in fact, they’re far from it; however, in a political climate where the other side is openly against fundamental rights, proudly in support of voter suppression and against any action to improve the economy, the choice is clear.