You might have seen that I went to Capitol Hill, was on the Tradeoffs podcast, and spoke to the Washington Post about my challenges with the Affordable Care Act. Without the Extended Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs) or some sort of subsidy, health insurance is anything but affordable, which is why I have been speaking publicly about this, despite my embarrassment.
We’re Not Who You Think We Are
Most people see my accomplishments and assume I am rolling in money because of them, my white privilege, etc. Or they assume I waste my money and cause my own financial challenges. You could argue either way. Growing up with so little, I’ve made my share of financial mistakes, like loaning money to people I didn’t know very well and trusted too much or failing to understand how to project the likely return on investment in my law degree. But I am not the only cause of my challenges, nor are the millions of working Americans who are similarly situated.
This is what I don’t think Congress or the Administration understand. We are not undocumented workers. Nor are we looking for permanent dependency on the government. We are licensed professionals and small business owners who didn’t get Paycheck Protection Program grants to ensure our pandemic recovery. Some of us are still paying off Economic Impact Disaster Loans that might outlast the businesses they claim to help. We are dedicated workers who lost jobs in 2020 and remain underemployed or are working multiple jobs for less annual income.
Trying to get back on track, we’ve made some difficult decisions to sell our homes or borrow from our retirement funds. But we’re not where we need to be yet and need a hand up while we compete for the few jobs that pay living wages or clients who can pay us.
We understand that we’re asking others to sacrifice for us. It feels like a Trolley Problem, and someone might die. Maybe it doesn’t have to be that way. Perhaps there is a win-win solution we haven’t considered yet.
Make the Seven Choices of Conflict Resolution Masters
In mediation, parties often come to us so deeply entrenched in their positions that they don’t remember why they took them. I ask them to make Seven Choices before they engage with anyone on the other side of the conflict. (It’s not a permanent placement or one that must be held on all issues.)
- Forgive yourself for not yet having a solution.
- Acknowledge yourself for willingness to explore solutions that haven’t been discovered.
- Forgive the world for creating conflict and forcing us to grow.
- Free the emotions–in a safe way that minimizes the likelihood of harm.
- Clear your mind of what you think you know about the issue and the other parties.
- Make no assumptions, unless you assume you know nothing.
- Listen with your third ear for the hurts you can heal, and heal the ones you can.
Take the Five Actions Toward Resolution
Once the parties have reconnected with their values, goals, needs, and humanity, we can focus on the dispute. For example:
Congress and I disagree about the need to extend EPTCs for working Americans.
From here, we can identify the competing interests that must be acknowledged and explored:
- I thought my business would be generating more income by now, but I had some additional setbacks.
- I don’t want to take a handout; I’m asking for a temporary hand up.
- I need more time to gain momentum and adapt to the new challenges of AI, budget cuts, tariffs, and more.
- I want to overcome these challenges, restore my independence, and help others do the same.
On the other side:
- Congress (as a whole) apparently thought this would be a good issue to bargain on, but members are not bargaining with each other and seem to have forgotten to set aside their personal interests in furtherance of their constituents’ interests.
- Congress seems to believe this is about political power and posturing when most of its constituents want a functioning government that co-creates sustainable solutions to our past, present, and future problems.
- Congress needs to remember we are the United States of America above all else.
- Individual members of Congress might want something else, but that does not work. If they’re unwilling to work together, they need to go. Our government is not designed for refusal to collaborate.
Closing Thoughts
You will notice that it’s hard for me to keep my personal interests and beliefs out of the analysis when I am not engaging with Congress, which is why I went to Capitol Hill and continue to invite a solutions-focused discussion, whether it includes me or not. Stay tuned.