17% of Americans approve the job Congress is doing
What is wrong with this?
Do Americans dislike the way Democracy works? It is a reality that Congress has been crippled and rendered useless by both parties. The issue is political dominance and ultimately their survival.
We have seen delay and obstruction all through the past year and it does not seem to diminish.
Republicans can’t accept their defeat and allow even one meaningful legislation to come through for Democrats and the American people. It is no secret that the Republicans have put politics above the wellbeing of the American people and the benefit of the country. Some Democrats as well have been distracted into this mode of operating. The result is a gridlock atmosphere where nothing can get done.
The American people are not just disturbed with this type of behavior, they absolutely reject it and neither party has caught on to the feelings that are out there. What is the solution? Perhaps we may have to resort to altering the rules of how laws are passed in Congress. One good place to start is to limit the number of delays the opposing party can throw into the gears to delay or defeat legislation. Supposing that they institute a limit of 5 amendments and 5 delays to any given legislation. Then the objections would force the ones placing the objections to make their first five amendments real meaningful contributions to any bill or a serious objection based on facts and opposition and not on procedural or ideological reasons. What this would do is to assure that no opposing party would be able to slow down the process for absurd and frivolous reasons. If additional amendments or objections are to be raised then it would be up to the Speaker to allow it or not.
Then the much needed campaign reform and lobbying regulations should be instituted into law to prevent money from either putting legislators in their pockets or for them to be worrying about their re-election. The lobbying abuses have not only gone on for too long, they have also gone too far to injure an already assailed democratic process.
If we are to stand still and allow the recent Supreme Court ruling that allows unlimited funds to be spent by corporations on political campaigns we will lose our democracy altogether. If the American people have their vote drowned out by excessive contributions from the rich and the corporation then the vote will become meaningless.
The more compelling question would be "How do people feel about their particular legislator?" As a voter there's nothing I can do about representatives from someplace else.
ReplyDeleteWe need to talk about why this reform in needed and what it will really do to make life better.