Fascination with Shiny Objects

Apart from the angst that the current political divide has created in the personal and public lives of Americans, there is the very real cost of that which is not being accomplished.  Congress fiddles while critical American issues fester.  The basic, fundamental reasons for which we send elected officials to our nation’s capitol are being ignored and growing more serious by the day.  Each election cycle, we select Senators and Representatives and Presidents that promise a new day in WDC; a day that will usher in a different era of bipartisanship and accomplishment.  Freshmen members of the House bring their unbounded energy and excitement to Congress, only to be subdued by the corrupt power structure that has existed in that branch for decades.  The fierce determination of the incoming legislators is crushed beneath the gears and cogs of existing legislative hierarchies that foster group-think and rigidity rather than expansive thought and innovation.  New players like Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez break the mold and experience a burst of new-found excitement and energy; only to have their unconventional attitudes and remarks analyzed to the point of defragmentation. 

Before they cleanse our nation’s capital and government of all the political heretics who foster different and dangerous ideals; before they reinvent the constitution and the basic framework of our governmental model; before they revolutionize the planet and mold it into a nirvana of unicorns, rainbows and lollipops…perhaps our elected representatives in Congress should simply focus on doing the things that we sent them up there to do.

The USMCA.  At a time when the U.S. economy is doing quite well and needs to continue its momentum, we are seeing the global economy showing concerning signs of slowing down and the United States and Mexico and Canada free trade Agreement continue to languish in the House of Representatives.  The fact is that people’s jobs, the American economy (as well as Mexico and Canada), and an added incentive for future free trade negotiations hinge upon this Agreement receiving Congressional approval.  The heavy lifting has been done by the Administration.  Congress, do your job.

The FY2020 Federal Budget.  The Senate tabled Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget work pending the outcome of President Trump’s and Speaker Pelosi’s budget talks.  Those talks have been completed for some time now.  FY2019 ends on September 30, 2019.  Our government has no budget for the next fiscal year.  Once again, we will be seeing the use of continuing resolutions and omnibus bills to allow our country to fiscally operate.  There are twelve primary appropriation bills for Congress to annually pass; one…per…month.  Congress, do your job.

Immigration Reform.  DACA, the illegitimate product of the Obama Administration, continues to be administered in legal limbo.  Republican and Democrat Chief Executives alike never seem to understand that the Achilles Heel of the Executive Action is that one President can easily undo what a previous President has accomplished through Executive Action.  As this nation continues to waste time, money, and the very lives of immigrants (both legal and illegal) debating what to do about immigration, nothing is being accomplished.  This Triage through Band Aids approach is a disgrace; especially when it is commonly accepted that the major concerns of our immigration challenges have ready solutions that enjoy bipartisan support.  Congress, do your job.

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Election Reform.  Historically, nations have attempted to interfere in other nation’s elections.  America has done it and others have done it to America.  Hillary Clinton sought to enable it in her contest with Trump via the Steele dossier.   Putin’s Russia tried to do it to our 2016 presidential election through its sophomoric social media escapades.  The Democrats have wasted over two years trying to prove (unsuccessfully) that Trump was complicit in this Russian mischief; while Obama openly did it to Israel.  The Left rails continually about the injustice of the Electoral College, the disenfranchisement of various voting groups, and the dangers of foreign efforts to impact our elections.  The Republicans rail that any limitation whatsoever of money in politics is an infringement on fundamental free speech rights.  And yet nothing is being done legislatively to address any of these legitimate concerns.  News Flash: Wouldn’t it be better to close the barn door than complain about horses escaping.  Congress, do your job.

The FY2021 Federal Budget.  It is bad enough that we will go into FY20 with no federal budget in place.  It is even worse that the time that should be spent holding hearings, doing research, and making serious spending decisions regarding priorities for FY2021 (the fiscal year that will begin on September 30, 2020) is instead being consumed by figuring out how to pay the bills in what will be the current fiscal year, FY2020.  Common sense SCREAMS for a federal spending plan to be properly authored and approved prior to entering its effective fiscal year.  How can any rational person expect federal departments and agencies to function with any fiscal effectiveness or efficiency when they have no spending plan to operate with?  And people wonder why bureaucracy continues to paralyze our government?  Not only should a federal budget be in place prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, there also should be a two-year federal budget cycle to better improve fiscal operations.  Congress, do your job.

The Federal Budget Deficit.  https://www.concordcoalition.org/budget-decisions?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqIqolqns5AIVmuDICh3WNw0FEAAYBCAAEgLRwfD_BwE

The single issue that continues to garner universal and bipartisan support in WDC is deficit spending by the U.S. government.  It is an unvarnished fact that the failures to honestly acknowledge, discuss, and address this ongoing problem for our country is a stain on the integrity of both national parties.  There is so much fiscal fruit that is well within reach; but will not be touched due to political considerations.  The day will come when there will be a reckoning for the irresponsible accounting practices approved by our Congresses.  The burden that is being passed forward to future generations of Americans is the height of malfeasance and should be a source of embarrassment to our Senators and Representatives.  Congress, do your job.

National Infrastructure.  Before the Resist Trump movement; before the Russian Collusion hoax; before the polarization of our national media and citizenry at large…there was the very real possibility of a bipartisan piece of legislation that would partner federal resources with state and county resources in an effort to address the failing conditions of our national infrastructure.  We are blessed to reside in a nation that is full of beauty, diversity, and literally stunning wonder.  The transportation systems that connect this environment are crumbling before our very eyes and straining the economic capabilities of government at all levels.  For the sake of our very safety, our jobs, and our recreational possibilities, our nation’s infrastructure must be brought up to acceptable standards and maintained in that fashion for future generations.  Congress, do your job.

National Health Care.  As I have written before, there is no need to throw the Obamacare baby out with the bath water.  Politicos on both sides of the aisle need to put their egos aside and address the shortcomings and inequities in our present health care system.  Once again, this is one of those issues where many acres of common ground exist between the national parties and the focus should be on those areas.  It is undeniable that health care in our nation is too expensive.  It is undeniable that too many people go without the basic health care they should be receiving.  It is undeniable that our logic-challenged government has no business trying to micro-manage an industry as expansive as national health care when it is best left to the boundless possibilities of the American free-market system.  Forget the acronyms and the revolutionary ideals; let’s just get the national parties together and begin to inject some common sense and reason into this part of our lives that is draining so much of our economic and political energy.  Congress, do your job.  

Entitlement Reform.  The universal Congressional approach to entitlement reform mirrors its approach to the federal budget deficit.  Kick the can down the road; let the next Congress or President deal with it; the money will never run out and we have needs that must be addressed. The attitude seems to be that…hey, we print the money; why worry?  We should ALL worry because it is the right thing to do.  We should all worry because in a nation that is so very blessed in a material sense, there are far too many hurting from inadequate resources.  We should all worry because just as our parents sacrificed for our futures, so we should sacrifice for the futures of our children.  We should all worry because true compassion is as much about creating opportunity as it is about giving aid.  We should all worry because the due date on our entitlement debts will inevitably arrive.  Congress…please…just do your job.