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How weak has our Congress become?


          It is almost impossible to forget the catchy Schoolhouse Rock skit, “I’m Just a Bill” that we would see and hear so frequently in our elementary days. However, it is safe to say that the sketch we all loved so much as kids is no longer accurate as of today and would have to be rewritten. The legislation process has changed quite a bit in the last couple of decades. It has gone from the regular order; a committee hearing, followed by passing in each legislature body and then coming together with a compromise of the two versions eventually making its way to the president, to now the party leaders dictating the agenda with little power elsewhere. “By 2007-2008, less than 15% of legislation was considered under open rules. Now they don’t even exist. Leadership has total control over what gets a vote on the house floor” (Willis & Kane). On top of this, when those bills make it to the floor lawmakers have fewer chances than ever to propose amendments to the legislation, as you can see in Figure 1.

Figure 1         

         One of the major reasons why party leadership has been able to gain so much control is because of the intensifying battle between the Democrats and Republicans for the control of Congress. To increase their chances, they have strived to promote a common and unified message, “often placing electioneering over policymaking” (Volden & Wiseman). Because of this, it is more than likely that little action will take place this fall now that Congress is back from is August recess. With party leaders fixated on proposals that will only help to keep them in control, there is no question that differences will take place. With this being said, both parties seem to be interested in accomplishing some of the same things in the legislature. For example, negotiating for a new North America trade deal, lowering drug pricing and getting rid of surprise billing for medical treatments (Volden & Wiseman). However, seeing as the House is controlled by the Democrats and the Senate is controlled by Republicans, it can still be assumed that not much action will occur. With congressional leaders ultimately seeking to continue winning elections, cooperating with the opposite party does not seem likely. At the end of the day, one party wins and the other does not, so defeating the opposition is the only solution they see to their problems.
            With all of this being said, a number of today’s leaders disagree with the idea that there is a major issue with Congress, particularly the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He focuses on the stunning bipartisan passage of a bill to battle the opioid epidemic at the same time as the incredibly straining battle over Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination. “We were both able to have a big robust fight over something both sides felt deeply about and still work together on other issues at the very same time,” McConnell said (Willis & Kane). This is just one example, but it is safe to say that very few others agree with McConnell about Congress’ success.  
            Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has a different way of describing the way he sees Congress, stating that it is an institution that needs to be rebuilt from the ground up, starting with new campaign laws and a different work attitude. “It’s kind of like a bombed building,” he said. “The rubble is there, and we just have to reconstruct the building with as much appreciation for what it once was” (Willis & Kane). I believe it is safe to say that Daschle’s outlook on Congress is more agreed upon within the general public than McConnell’s.


Work Cited
Volden, Craig, and Alan E. Wiseman. "Congress is back in town. Here's why lawmakers will struggle
           to get much done." The Washington Post. 12 Sept. 2019. WP Company. 17 Sept. 2019  
           <https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/12/congress-is-back-town-heres-why-
           lawmakers-will-struggle-get-much-done/>.
Willis, Derek, and Paul Kane. "How Congress Stopped Working." ProPublica. 09 Mar. 2019. The 
           Washington Post. 18 Sept. 2019 <https://www.propublica.org/article/how-congress-stopped-
           working>.

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