georgefearing.com

Congressman Richard Hastings has spent his political life engaging in partisan conflict, and our children are paying the price.

On June 4, the Star ran a press release from Congressman Hastings on his failure to have Congress adopt two amendments he proposed to an education bill related to the federal government’s responsibilities under the Impact Aid program. Hastings would have us believe that his amendments were blocked because the Democratic Congress does not want to fund education. This explanation is absurd on its face. Democrats have fought long and hard to fund education because we know it is important to prepare our children to compete in a global society. The explanation is especially preposterous in light of the fact that the bill in question was to authorize $20 billion of federal spending for school construction and maintenance.

The truth is that the reason the House Leadership won’t listen to Hastings has nothing to do with ideology, and everything to do with Hastings’ long history as a partisan politician. Since his election to Congress in 1994, and during his tenure as a state representative before, Hastings built his entire career on partisan politics. Hastings has never built alliances with anyone on the other side of the aisle. He prides himself on practicing politics as a perpetual partisan attack.

Doc Hastings almost always votes with his party’s leadership. After he votes with his party, he blames the Democrats.

Hastings’ quotes in your June 4 article about his failure to get his amendments passed were more partisan attacks. Hastings was successful with this unproductive behavior with Republicans in the majority, but now that they are not, central Washington pays the price. That’s why it’s time for a change. Democrats are in the majority in Congress, and will be in the extended future. Doc Hastings’ partisan ways will thus continue to harm our district.

Unfortunately, Hastings never accomplished anything even when his party controlled Congress. His ability to accomplish anything is even worse now. As long as Congress continues to be controlled by the Democrats, Hastings is going to continue to be ignored. His failed amendments related to the Impact Aid program are just another example of his inability to adequately represent our interests.