Congress needs to focus on the real issues

Lawmakers today face no shortage of challenges that need tackling, making smart prioritization imperative. In Congress, we need to see action on voting rights, infrastructure, and health care, just to name a few. And of course, communities across Arizona continue to require support as we recover from the pandemic. This is particularly true of minority and Native American populations who have experienced much higher rates of infection, death, and unemployment. 

Seth Blattmen

But with so much before congressional leaders today, some have chosen a different path, spending valuable time advancing misguided proposals aimed at the technology sector, including a recent antitrust package passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. These bills are a haphazard attack on tech with Congress clearly not having a full understanding of the issues that lie before it. This is especially true in the context of a global marketplace.  

No one would argue that technology policies aren’t important to consider. But there’s just too much at stake today, from our crumbling infrastructure to a democracy under attack by partisan actors looking to restrict access to the ballot. These are the issues the people of Arizona are expecting our lawmakers to prioritize. 

I hope lawmakers will reject being distracted by any legislation or initiatives that will take their attention away from the most pressing issues facing communities today. When lawmakers make their way back to Washington after this recess, we hope they will hit the ground running and focus on what is important. 

Seth Blattman is a Scottsdale small-business owner and former state Senate candidate.