The Democrats' victory can save the Republican Party

It is time for the Republican Party to wake up to the indisputable scientific evidence that climate change is a reality that must urgently be addressed. Indeed, only totally ignorant and morally corrupt people do not recognize that climate change is already upon us. The unprecedented ferocity of fires (particularly recently in California), hurricanes, tsunamis, rising sea levels, and pervasive destruction of the coral reefs are a direct result of climate change and is obvious for all to see.

Environmental deregulation is criminal and no Republican, including the President, has the right to contaminate our air, water, and land only to make the rich richer. The Democrats must make climate change a national emergency and leave no stone unturned to ensure that no business can financially benefit from deregulation, at the expense of the health and well-being of every American, who will suffer greatly from chronic diseases related to climate change. Rejoining the Paris Climate Accord will offer a good start.

Infrastructure:

The fourth thing the Democrats must focus on is the disastrous conditions of infrastructure throughout the country. Roads and bridges are crumbling, with over 54,000 bridges rated structurally deficient; more than two out of five interstate roads and highways are over capacity and can no longer accommodate the massive congestion, which is consuming more fuel and costing the economy $120 billion annually. Thousands of small and medium sized towns are disintegrating and are in need of major revitalization. Moreover, the country's railway network is in sorry condition, vastly underfunded and cobbled together with freight and commuter rail lines, putting us to shame compared to countries like China, Japan, and most European states.

The Democrats must remain unyielding until infrastructure legislation passes. The Republican Senate will be hard-pressed not to work with the Democrats on such a critical bipartisan bill as 2020 hovers around.

The Democrats' focus on these four major national projects (including education and gun control) is central to maintaining the viability of the party. This is precisely what's needed to change the lives of ordinary Americans for the better, instead of demonizing the Republicans. The Democrats' victory in the House offers Republicans in the Senate an opportunity to redeem themselves by collaborating with Democrats on major issues that face the nation, saving the party from disintegration.

In 2020, the Democrats should be running on their achievements, or at a minimum, on their genuine efforts to deal with issues of great concern and urgency to the American people, and clearly demonstrate that the national interests take precedent over party politics.