In the face of massive unemployment brought on by the pandemic and its effects, Congress has gone on vacation.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will not both be in session again until mid-September. Particularly egregious is the lack of leadership on the parts of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer.

Democrats could have seized this moment, remained in Washington and daily sent Pelosi and Schumer before the TV cameras to challenge the Republicans: “We’re here. We didn’t go on vacation. We’re ready to keep negotiating.”

But they too, as Don McLean so aptly put it in his song, have “caught the last train for the coast.” Shame on Congressional Republicans and Democrats. Maybe it’s true: When push really comes to shove, we do live in a plutocracy.

— John Doherty

Salisbury