Lawmakers need to unite against intimidator-in-chief

Sarah Squire
Guest columnist
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As a new school year begins, parents across Tennessee transition their daughters and sons to homework routines and early bedtimes. Parents also coach children in case they face the darker side of school: bullying. Hopefully, members of Congress have undergone similar coaching during their August recess.

As a parent, I’ve observed behavior from the White House that would be unacceptable in our house. As a physician who started my medical career in East Tennessee, I’ve watched the president’s bullying of Congress threaten the interests of thousands of patients in this state. Political strong-arming is not unique to this administration. But prior to the August recess, the Oval Office exerted unprecedented ruthlessness as it pushed for a political win.

Sarah Squire is an oncologist and mother of two children.

Aware of extreme flaws in the Republican health care plan, the president relied upon bullying tactics to push a bill that only 12 percent of Americans supported in a USA TODAY poll. He had applauded the House bill while simultaneously describing it as “mean.” Pushing for senators’ votes, he demanded their loyalty while carrying no appreciation for the loyalty they owed their constituents.

“It's very sad that Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do very little to protect their President,” he tweeted. Most disturbing was the phone call from the administration to Sen. Lisa Murkowski that implied retribution against her state if she deviated from party lines. When she subsequently voted down a version of the Senate bill, the president tweeted that she “… let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!” 

GOP senators ultimately faced the “Skinny Repeal” with two options: vote against the White House at risk of political blackmail, or vote against constituents at risk of compromising millions of lives. Tennessee’s own senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, chose the latter. Even Sen. Lindsey Graham, who had described the bill as a “disaster” and “fraud,” decided not to defy the president. Too bad.

While voicing our interests to legislators, should we also instruct them to tug their earlobes on C-SPAN when bullying reaches critical levels? Or insert the code word “beleaguered” into the form letters they send us from Capitol Hill? I feel sympathy for Republican lawmakers. However, our country’s hope will disintegrate if we make excuses for them. Republicans need to seize the unruly elephant by the tusks. Many campaigned on his behalf in 2016. They are complicit until they act and vote against the damage he inflicts. Tweeting words of disapproval is not enough.

We need senators and representatives to serve the people, not the president. Threats and taunts toward legislators trickle down to affect the futures of children and patients across Tennessee. Regardless of our political affiliations, we would all benefit if lawmakers united in an anti-bullying campaign against the intimidator-in-chief. They may want to check out before he thinks to shut it down.

Sarah Squire is an oncologist and mother of two young children. 


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