By John J. Drew.
Reeling in the wake of passage of Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill on our nation’s 249th birthday, I am taking a long, sad look at the current Republican party.
Founded by Abraham Lincoln and others fighting to bring down the abomination of slavery, that 1850s anti-slavery Republican party paved the way for Lincoln to win the presidency against Democrats weakened by the secession of Southern states.
But now the party of Lincoln and fiscal conservatives who sought to reduce the national debt is gone. The party that included patriots and heroes such as John McCain no longer exists. The current Republican Party that came to life during Trump’s campaigns and presidencies is dominated by cowards and gutless, groveling sycophants, all terrified of unleashing the wrath of Trump and losing their seats in Congress.
In prior times, Republicans worked with Democrats across the aisle to fashion and maintain the role of America as leader of the free world. Preeminent in commerce, we provided major aid to the world’s poorest countries and people. America offered nutrition, health care, education, and opportunity, helping others while reaping advantages at home and across the world. We know that countries with high poverty and abject hopelessness are a breeding ground for tyrannical leaders.
So here we are in 2025 with a Congress dominated by Republicans with no backbone, men and women terrified by and obedient to the MAGA-capped “Wizard of Oz.” But this wizard is for real.
This Republican party is filled with petty, corrupt, cowardly leaders who are allowing great harm to the people they represent. They have passed an ugly bill that stands our great republic on its head:
• Creating huge deficits that pile onto an already obscene debt while taking from the poor to make the rich even better off.
• Cutting off lifelines to healthcare, food, and opportunities to build better lives for hardworking Americans who love their country.
• Deporting hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children who are working and paying taxes in America while seeking to escape tyranny and life-threatening conditions, seeking opportunity in a free land, contributing to our economy.
• Leaving Ukraine to die on the vine as our American president bows down before the majesty of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
This president and his collaborators in Congress, in the financial sector, and in some courtrooms have weighed anchor and are letting the US drift rudderless in a now dangerous world.
I can only hope and pray that the 2026 mid-term elections finally put a stop to this madness and get us back on an even keel. From that base, America can rejoin the world community and once again provide homes for the homeless, nutrition for the food-deprived, and opportunities for education and employment, while working with all parties to achieve a world peace.
John J. Drew is a longtime community leader and advocate for Boston’s neighborhoods.
