Congress was created back in the 18th century to give the newly United States a representative government, namely a government that does what the people want.
Today's Congress is failing. Instead of addressing issues, they are locked into partisan squabbling, back stabbing, buck passing, and obstructionism. They haven't passed a thing this year, and from the looks of it, nothing is going get passed for a long long time.
This isn't what we voters want. I'll grant that we voters are deeply split on many issues. But we do all agree that we ought to do something nice for the DACA young people. Congress has done zip for the DACA folks. And a whole bunch of other immigration reforms have gone nowhere. Surely with a little log rolling, something could be worked out that would get enough votes to pass. The voters do agree that we need Obamacare reform, what we got costs too much and is a business killer. Congress has done zip. The voters want Congress to confirm more of Trump's appointees, rather than stalling them for months and months.
In short, we voters ought to vote all the current Congresscritters out this fall and vote in a bunch of new ones that will vote for things that we voters want passed and drop all the partisan bickering. I know there are plenty if issues where we voters are totally split. But there are a number that we agree on, and those ought to pass.
1 comment:
I have a solution I've been pushing for years - First, repeal the 17th Amendment and put election of Senators back into the hands of the state legislatures. Right now Senators are merely 'super-representatives" not much different from members of the House.
Second, make the House of Representatives draftee rather than elective. One-third of the House (145 members) would be replaced each year, with representatives serving a three-year term. The rules for members being drafted:
1. No exemptions except for medical/family hardships.
2. No representative could be drafted again for a minimum of 12 years.
3. No one under the age of 25 can be drafted.
4. Most important rule - No lawyers can be drafted into the House. If they want to serve they can campaign to be elected to the Senate by their home state's legislature.
The advantages:
The House is going to be a more of a cross-section of America. It certainly isn't now.
Lobbyists and rent-seekers won't have the leverage they have now since there are no campaign contributions to be made. Just about the time they start having an effect on a member of the House, their term will be up and they'll go home.
Many members will understand the effects of regulations on business, having had to deal with them first hand or how regulations affect their towns and their states.
No endless campaign ads filling the airwaves for weeks on end as the campaign seasons are too long. This will eliminate them.
And that's just the start.
Think it will work?
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