By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Despite criticisms, 149 Democratic House members joined Republicans in passing an $828.7 billion military spending bill, despite warnings of the president’s “lawless” actions. This vote, which included funding for the Department of Homeland Security, drew criticism from progressives who viewed it as an endorsement of controversial policies like unapproved military operations and the potential for international conflicts. Progressives like Rep. Delia C. Ramirez expressed opposition, citing concerns over unchecked military spending and the use of working families’ needs as a bargaining chip. The bill is now headed to the Senate for a final vote.
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The sheer audacity of it all – 149 House Democrats voting to hand Trump’s administration a staggering $840 billion for the military. The weight of that number, the implications, the… betrayal. It’s hard to find words that adequately capture the frustration, the disappointment, the sense of a fundamental disconnect between the supposed opposition and the agenda it’s meant to oppose. It’s a gut punch to anyone who believes in a government that prioritizes the people.
It feels like a broken record, doesn’t it? The warnings, the anxieties, the fears of creeping authoritarianism, all dismissed or sidestepped. And then, the vote. The numbers don’t lie. One hundred and forty-nine Democrats, effectively rubber-stamping a policy that fuels an agenda we’ve been told to fear. This isn’t just a political misstep; it’s a moral one. The claim that they have a plan, that this somehow serves a larger strategic purpose – it rings hollow when you see the results. When the same patterns of capitulation are repeated ad nauseam, and the country slides further into crisis.
The question that arises is, why? What is the rationale behind this unwavering support for policies that seem diametrically opposed to the values many Democrats claim to uphold? Are they afraid of appearing “weak on defense”? Are they beholden to corporate interests that benefit from endless military spending? Or is it simply a deep-seated lack of imagination, a failure to conceive of a different path, a better way? Whatever the reason, the consequences are clear. They’re emboldening those who seek to dismantle the very foundations of democracy.
The problem, it seems, isn’t necessarily the lack of a majority in Congress. The problem is the apparent lack of will to *use* the power they do possess. They could be fighting harder, they could be playing the long game with more tenacity, and they could be demonstrating a clear contrasting vision from the right. Instead, we see this constant willingness to concede, to compromise on principles, and to seemingly prioritize the status quo over the urgent needs of the people. This is not the behavior of an opposition party. It’s the behavior of an entrenched establishment.
This isn’t about individual personalities. This is about a system that has allowed itself to become captured, and those who are more focused on preserving their own power than on the needs of the electorate. It’s a system where ambition trumps integrity, where consultants call the shots, and where the voices of the people are drowned out by the din of lobbyists and donors. It’s a situation in which the voters’ trust is shattered, over and over again.
The constant refrain, the one that’s been heard for years, is that “they have a plan.” The excuse for incompetence, the spin that tries to portray capitulation as a necessary strategy, and the insistence that things will be better “later.” This “greater agenda” is always just around the corner, as the world crumbles. The voters put their trust in those “incompetent stooges.” The people are being betrayed time and time again.
The question then becomes: what is to be done? One answer, one that emerges from the deep frustration, is the need for radical change. It’s time for primary challenges, for sweeping out the incumbents and replacing them with people who are genuinely committed to fighting for a better future. It’s time to disrupt the status quo, to challenge the establishment, and to make it clear that the voters demand better.
This isn’t about starting a new party; it’s about taking back the one that already exists. It’s about organizing, mobilizing, and demanding accountability. It’s about building a movement that can push the party in the right direction. Because the people’s voices are what actually matter.
We have to recognize the failures of the current leadership. We have to recognize that the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality, and that the country is sliding towards a fascist collapse. And we have to find a way to break through the apathy, the cynicism, and the sense of helplessness that has taken root. The bloodbath that happened to the Republican party, that gave birth to the MAGA movement, is going to happen to the Democrats. Perhaps it’s time for the Democrats to burn it all down too.