Are you happy with Congress?

This IMO is the worst Congress in the history of our Nation. Congress has gradually declined, bipartisanship has either been A: Nonexistent or B: The new found bipartisanship is by any means that they can screw over the executive branch.

Health Care reform is dead, infrastructure planning is nonexistent. Almost everything has had to be done by executive order because of this empty Congress. This same Congress took almost the longest amount of time to confirm presidential cabinet positions. And then obviously needing the filibuster for a highly qualified Justice.

So is anyone OTHER than me, absolutely delirious at Congress? Can we expect better things or is it even possible for Congress to go further down the rabbit hole of insolvency?

 

You may not get much response to this one because a lot of people here are directly responsible for this Congress you know, straight ticket voters. But hey, mid terms are coming up and we have a chance to right the ship. It's on us !!!

 

Not happy with them or my representative, but I am also one who would like to see them debating big issues instead of arguing over 99.9% of the stuff they busy themselves with whether or not the side I support wins. I like the debate...meaningful debate....

 

A Do Nothing Congress, however bad, is almost always better that a Congress that "does things".

 

Not happy at all. Our Congress has turned into a joke that isn't funny. No one is willing to work together and it doesn't appear either knows what their doing even among themselves. I will be voting in the Primaries to change my representatives.

 

"Our Congress" has been a very bad joke for a very long time.
But now is the time for primary challengers to bet their butts in gear.

 

90% of what a congressman does, when not on vacation, is work on his re-election. The other 10% is legislate to the political wind, to support his re-election. Herein, lies the problem.

 

Hey Deckel, I really don't like debates. I don't think we really get honest answers when candidates are being defensive. I think we need more one on one townhall style events were we the people can ask questions directly to these candidates without all the enteruptions and talking over one another. I think we could get a better feel of who they really are.

 

The leaders do not have to spend as much time fundraising. Hundreds of millions of dollars flow into their coffers every election cycle. Ordinary Congressmen have to spend almost all their time raiding money.

"Politicians spend an extraordinary amount of time raising money ... it takes up between 30 to 70% of their day."
EXTORTION, "How Politicians Extract Your money, Buy Votes, And Line Their Own Pockets, Peter Schweizer, HMO, NY, NY, 2013, p. 58.

 

Townhalls are fine for that sort of representive-constituent thing, but I like big old obtuse philosophical debates that translate into the public sphere out into people's day to day lives at dinner tables like what should we be doing to help the poor as opposed to "Let's increase/decrease spending on food stamps."

 

We need to go back to true compromise, which we haven't had since Bill Clinton/Newt Gingrich. The dems don't like compromise, and refused to compromise with GW Bush. The republicans retaliated and didn't compromise with Obama.

In terms of the question for the thread, I'm ok with my rep, Matt Gaetz, and I like my Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

 

The Tea Party and the Resistance have destroyed the idea of town hall events.

 

This could be eliminated if they would repeal the 17th Amendment and go back to the senators being appointed by the state legislatures.

 

I wished that Sir Rubio would have won the Presidential Election. He was my second choice after Rand Paul dropped out. It's unfortunate how World history played out. One of my favorite statements of his, is a fundamentally simple one: Words have consequences(He said this in response to what happened in Chicago.) I even read his book, and it had plenty of ideas that if they hadn't been acted on, I'd take them up in the House if elected.

Politics arouses passion, and passion arouses irrationality. During those times, we should self-reflect. I think the best politicians are the more modest ones, capable of self-reflection and aspiring to better the community around them. And Mr. Rubio gives me that impression.

 

6 brave Republicans just voted against Repeal.

only 3 are required to work with the Dems to fix ObamaCare.

i expect a bill to come up for a vote in 3 months.

 

I agree, Rubio was my first choice until after Florida. Personally, I blame Jeb Bush, who assisted Trump in piling on Rubio.

 

I am happy that the Senate voted NO on Repealing ObamaCare.

 

Every Democrat voted no including voting to allow no changes or adjustments to ObamaCare. In this, they literally voted that so entire counties in the USA will have ZERO insurance coverage for anyone, 100% of people not insured whatsoever. This is the Democratic Party's plan in reality: no one in the country will have health insurance. Then, with that, they will push for 100% socialized medicine as the only alternative.

The Democratic Plan: "Give us total socialized medicine or we will kill everyone who needs medical care and isn't rich. Yield to socialism or die, your choice."

 

I blame Chris Christie. That attack was real weak-sauce, but it gained traction among the GOP faithful(I'm an independent). Who cares if he has a constant message. It's not one people didn't believe(Hillary didn't deserve to be POTUS.) Hell, in voting for Trump they basically reasserted that.

 

You mean CONgress? That unconstitutional branch of government by billionaires for billionaires (and banks and select corporations and of course the military industrial complex) that engages in insider trading and bribery and where each member leaves massively more wealthy than when they first entered? That criminal racketeering organization? Yeah, they are just a wonderful bunch of thieves. Now start a poll about the other 2 criminal racketeering branches.

 

Well, there's that...

 

Basically congress hasn't done anything so far this year. I am quite happy with that. I always keep wondering what congress will screw up next. Doing nothing mean screwing up nothing. Where is it written that congress has to pass a million laws to be considered a success or a good congress? With millions and millions of statutes on the books, a good congress would start rescinding them.

 

There are certainly meaningless laws in Congress, but I'm of the personal(philosophical) opinion that nothing is useless on the whole. If laws were passed that made life easier for citizens, we wouldn't have the position of: "It's good that they did nothing." Unfortunately, laws are rarely passed with their constituents in mind, but with some lobbying firm or interest, which ends up screwing it up for 99% of the people.

That doesn't mean we should have a nonexistent government though(Anarchy.) I'd rather a government that listens to its constituents, and makes laws based on the constituency.

 

Excellent point. From the Constitution:

Article I Section 4 Paragraph 2.

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

The reason for the above is that the founders never expected CONgress to be a full time job passing hundreds of new laws every single year making every American a criminal 24/7.

 

In an ideal government, you're correct. It shouldn't matter whether one is a Republican or Democrat, one should be doing what is best for the people of his district or state. He should be listening to them and respecting their wishes and wants. There shouldn't be any straight party line votes. Yep, doing what is best for their constituents. But in today's world of politics, government, it is what is best for the political party and those who supply, read donate, the money to them. Lobbyist, corporations, Wall Street Firms, Special interests. all take priority of constituents.

So a do nothing congress in my opinion isn't a bad thing.