With the political climate extremely polarized, all eyes are on the 2022 midterms. Historically, the party in the White House loses control of Congress during the midterm elections. However, recent polling and events indicate that it may not be the case in 2022. There is a chance that Democrats may hold onto half or all of Congress. Democrats must maintain their control of Congress. If Republicans take control of Congress, they have made it clear that they will stall Biden’s agenda, introduce unpopular legislation against the will of the American people, and further undermine America’s democratic process.

Currently, Democrats hold extremely slim majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate: 223-212 Democrats and 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris being the Democrat’s tie-breaking vote. Even with their slim majorities, Democrats have passed significant pieces of legislation. The legislation passed by Democrats is, for the most part, popular with the American people, but has been passed with minimal or no support from Republicans.

Significant Issues

Inflation

One of the more immediate and pressing issues being touted by both parties is the raging inflation. Products such as gas and food have been hit especially hard.

According to Matthew Bergquist, AP U.S. government teacher, Republicans “are trying to make an argument that you can put that on the Democratic Party.”

They point toward the inflation rate since it has increased in Biden’s term. Biden’s low approval ratings, which have remained in the low forties, reflect this.

However, the Federal Reserve has the most power in inflation reduction policies, and it is supposedly non-partisan. It is also ignorant to think that this is just a problem in the U.S. when the world is experiencing inflation.

Democrats have offered and passed legislation aimed at helping to reduce inflation. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has garnered praise from 126 of the nation’s top economists, which includes seven Nobel Laureates, on how it has the potential to lower inflation. Despite Republicans constantly complaining about inflation, no Republicans voted in favor of the Inflation Reduction Act. If they take office, it raises the question of whether they would address inflation or are using it as a political mobilizer.

Rising Crime and Guns

Rising crime around the U.S. has become a central political point for both parties. Republicans blame the Black Lives Matter protests and the anti-police sentiments as part of the reason for rising crime.

“It was very difficult to to control any crime when people were so against them,” senior Caroline Berkness explained. “I do not think that that was a good choice by people to be making movements against the police when they’re the ones that protect and keep citizens safe.”

In the wake of over 460 mass shootings in 2022 alone, gun safety is again at the front of people’s minds. Once again, gun safety and pro-gun activists clash on addressing rising crime and increased mass shootings.

The Democrat’s agenda regarding guns is much more popular with the American people than the Republican’s. Democrats want to go the route that every other developed country has done with gun control: ban private ownership of assault rifle-style guns, automatic or semiautomatic guns, and universal background checks. Republicans in Congress, on the other hand, support the rhetoric of “a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun” and have expanded access to guns in red states. That agenda has both proven to be untrue and unpopular. Only a tiny percentage of potential mass shootings have been stopped by security or bystanders with their guns. Moreover, according to a Harvard School of Politics study, 83 percent of gun owners, Democrat or Republican, agree with the policy of a universal background check on gun buyers.

Climate Change

The direction of climate action taken by the U.S. is also on the ballot this month. The climate agenda of Democrats is to transition to renewables and enact climate-conscious policies, which is supported by most Americans.

“The climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues for humanity at the moment,” senior Henry Hietpas explained. “We’ve not done nearly enough to try and resolve the issue and we are hurtling towards like an all out crisis.”

Republicans have made it clear that they want to continue relying on fossil fuels and big oil, which is both bad for the planet and the U.S. The Inflation Reduction Act is one of the most aggressive actions taken by the U.S. to counter climate change. It includes but is not limited to, developing renewable energy sources and cleaner industries. Most Americans want the U.S. to cease its reliance on hostile, petroleum-autocratic regimes such as Saudi Arabia and Russia. Transitioning to renewables will make America more competitive on the world stage, creating thousands of jobs and the necessary infrastructure.

Abortion Rights

Abortion has the potential to be one of the most mobilizing topics for midterms. Over the summer, the Supreme Court overturned the precedent set by Roe v. Wade in the decision Dobbs v. Jackson. Now that there are no federal protections for abortions, access to abortion varies significantly from state to state. However, polling consistently shows that over 60% of Americans support abortion in all or most cases, and many feel very strongly about it.

“Ever since Roe v. Wade was put into place they’ve been trying to take down abortion,” Hietpas said. “So it’s sobering to see that we’ve reached the execution of that plan and that plan has gone through successfully.”

According to Bergquist, Democrats are banking that the abortion controversy will get more women voters out since women tend to vote more liberal. Most Republicans in Congress are not pro-choice, which has proven wildly unpopular across the country. In Kansas, a reliably red state, Kansas voters overwhelmingly voted “no” on a state constitutional amendment that would ban abortion in the state. So clearly, the Republican agenda on abortion is unpopular, even within their base.

Republican candidates have also been called out for blatant hypocrisy on this issue. Herschel Walker, the Republican senate candidate against the incumbent Raphael Warnock (GA-D), is staunchly anti-abortion. However, a bombshell article from The Daily Beast showed that Herschel paid for his ex-girlfriend’s abortion back in 2009.

Republicans have proven to be dangerous to our democracy

The “Big Lie” is still a powerful force in the Republican party, but it has been proven repeatedly that the 2020 election was fair and legitimate. Many MAGA Republican candidates still propagate that the 2020 general election was stolen. Ex-president Donald Trump continues to echo this idea by claiming that he was the actual election winner and that Biden and the Democrats stole it from him. All these Republicans are doing is sowing unnecessary doubt in America’s election systems, which undermines the basis of our democratic government.

Therefore, it is crucial for our democracy that Democrats hold both chambers of Congress so that doubt in our democratic process is not given the national stage. However, while the national congressional elections, such as the Mehmet Oz versus John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, are flashy, Bergquist warns that other elections could potentially have a much more significant effect on our elections.

“Our county commissioners, state auditors and Secretary of State’s, they control the elections,” Bergquist explained. “I don’t think they get focused enough on because it’s boring and it’s not sexy.”

During the 2020 election, Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to produce 11,780 votes; Trump lost Georgia by exactly that number. If Raffensperger had listened to Trump, then our democracy would have fallen apart on the spot. If election integrity-denying candidates take control of the vitally important roles in the election process, our democracy might unravel as soon as 2024.

Democrats must hold Congress

While Democrats are not perfect or universally popular, they have a clear agenda for the American people. It is popular with most Americans and will allow the U.S. to become more competitive on the world stage. The modern Republican party, however, would set us back decades. They have no real consistent agenda that aligns with the people’s will. Their policies damage the economy, the planet, and possibly, our democracy. America has a choice this November, and America must choose wisely.