The
failure of the Senate to even bring the DHS budget authority to a point of
debate is a clear demonstration that it is warped and clearly beyond
repair. Bottom line is this: Harry Reid
began the snowball rolling downhill with his actions in the last Senate
session. The president has demonstrated utter disregard for the normal
legislative process and his capacity to wreak significant further damage in the
remainder of his second term needs to be stemmed. One cannot continue to fight a noble fight
against a dishonorable foe. One cannot
play by the rules when the other side simply changes the rules to suit their
agenda. One cannot fight with a knife
when their opponent wields AK47’s. Mitch
McConnell brought a high regard and respect for the Senate with him when he
assumed the majority leader position; he should be applauded for that
approach. But the simple fact is that
his approach has been ignored and rebuffed by the Democrats. They have continued their “party above people”
strategies of pushing their ideas through whatever means necessary. The members
of their party who have demonstrated a modicum of reasonableness have failed
when put to the test of working for progress or conducting business as
usual. The continuance of the status quo
in the U.S. Senate will only result in legislative deadlock, which will aid and
abet the runaway executive actions of the small man in the White House.
It
is nothing short of tragic that we have come to this point in the evolution of
our government; but perhaps it was an inevitability that none of us dared to
entertain. In order for Congress to
function to any degree of effectiveness, the absolute floor of expectations, it
would be beneficial for the Senate to remove cloture requirements and move the
great questions and debates of our government machinery to a majority
determination. Will the time come when
Democrats use this against the Republicans?
Yes, of course it will. But the
simple fact is that the Republicans, to a lesser degree than the current
Democrats, have in the past engaged in the very dilatory tactics of filibuster
that we are currently witnessing. If, as
many reputable political observers claim, the Congressional election
demographics favor the Republicans while Presidential demographics favor the
Democrats, then the removal of the filibuster will not be the destruction of
the final firewall between balance of power and authoritarian rule. There will be times when one party controls Congress
and the Executive and will likely succumb to the temptation of authoritarian rule.
However, those actions will give a clear,
unvarnished vision to the voting public of their governing ideas and efficiencies
and they will be held accountable in following elections.
Viewed
in any reasonable light, the mid-term elections of 2014 were a loud repudiation
of the Obama and Democratic agenda. And
yes, they are indeed one and the same; the silence of the party leaders has
enabled The One to speak for the party.
Obama and Senate Democrats, led by Reid and Schumer, have chosen to
ignore the public cry for moderation, compromise, and legitimate debate. They have instead chosen to stall the process
of Senate action, stonewall any Congressional oversight that might hinder
executive action, and simply try to run out the clock before their grossly
irresponsible behavior can be brought to judgment in the Judiciary. The Republicans need to drop the bomb, start passing
legislation that reflects the agenda that took their party to sweeping victories
last fall, and let the public decide who has the better ideas for improving this
country. If they do not take this course,
I fear the legislative stalemate will continue, executive actions will become more
plentiful and bolder, and the American voter will have a very confusing choice to
make in the fall of 2016. Going nuclear at
this point, on the appropriate question of executive action regarding immigration
policy, will begin to set the stage for clear choice in 2016.
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