While much of our economy is reeling from a shut down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nancy Pelosi betrayed her true nature by nearly wrecking the relief efforts by Congress. She packed legislation to support Americans affected by the loss of work and wages with millions in pork for her pet projects as well as leftist political mandates. This set the stage for a major fight in Congress at a time when millions of Americans are suffering and fearful of the unknown.

Legislation to fund medical ventilators, desperately needed hospital clothing, supplies and beds along with financial support for out-of-work employees and their families was unnecessarily delayed. That’s because Nancy Pelosi inserted tax credits for solar and wind research, massive cuts to aircraft emissions, $25 million for the Kennedy Center, and $300 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts and Public Broadcasting, $20 million for the Bureau of Reclamation and $33 million for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (which is pushing the Climate Change scenario).

The millions and the mandates didn’t stop there.

Even though airports and cruise lines are practically empty, she wanted an extra $26 million for “overtime” for TSA employees and $45 million for the Agricultural Marketing Service to grade meat. Pelosi, aka Chancellor Palpatine, continued grasping for power. She inserted in the virus-relief and economic stimulus bill legislation to allow same day voter registration. She even added prohibitions from colleges disclosing the immigration status of students to ICE. All leftist stuff that’s been in someone’s desk just waiting for a chance to be slipped into a bill like this.

In one of the biggest examples of tyranny she would have mandated a total restructuring of corporations receiving help from this legislation. The Securities and Exchange Commission would, under her scheme, require all manner of diversities on their boards including one third of members to be from labor unions. Pelosi’s stamp of identity politics would permanently have changed American businesses forever had it reached the final vote. Rep. James Clyburn, famous for having “rescued” the failing candidacy of Joe Biden, said it best of the Pelosi Pork Bill. He said, “this is a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.” (The Hill, March 19, 2020).

This behavior is the definition of demagoguery. It fulfills the mission of Democrat strategist and erstwhile mayor Rahm Emanuel who said, “ never let a good crisis go to waste.” Tyrants have adopted this mantle for centuries in their quest for absolute power. Voters should remember all of this in November.

Ralph Miller