In two fell swoops, Republicans have refused to increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 and have overwhelmingly tried to permanently reduce the estate taxes of our wealthiest citizens by $800 billion over the first 10 years. To put that in perspective, $800 billion is more than twice what we’ve spent on the Iraq war.

The Iraq war is the reason we can’t raise the minimum wage. We can’t afford it! Why isn’t it the reason we can’t afford to reduce the estate tax? Or give other tax cuts to the wealthiest among us?

Here in Maine, we have increased the minimum wage to $6.35 but, with the rising cost of gas and heating oil, our average monthly rent of $692 for a two-bedroom apartment is still unaffordable.

Republicans are wasting valuable congressional time, unfairly undermining our tax revenues when we are so incredibly in debt and have so many serious quality of life issues for millions of people.

It’s unconscionable for them to use the cost of the war and terrorism whenever it’s convenient to support their crusade against human services.

Jan Kubiac, Bethel