This November’s presidential election will be one of the most consequential in recent memory, and it has been granted added gravity following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s sudden exit from the race. But in order to reverse the failures of the Biden administration and end the chaos at home and abroad, Americans should not forget about the vital role Congress must play – just as the Founding Fathers envisioned.
As unpopular as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been, even they can’t compete with just how much the American people dislike and distrust the United States Congress. A dismal 18.6 percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing in the latest RealClearPolitics average, while 70.6 percent disapprove.
The biggest issues most Americans cite with the country’s chief legislative body are partisan gridlock, lack of civility, and polarization – even worse than that which exists in the public at large. And indeed, seemingly every major legislative deadline in recent years has devolved into a crisis, with threats of government shutdown occurring on an almost annual basis.
However, as inept as Congress has been, it still has a crucial role to play. The Framers of the Constitution intended for the legislature, not the executive, to be the most powerful branch of the federal government. Rather than vesting the power to decide policy in one man, the Founders hoped that deliberation and compromise in Congress would produce better laws.
In practice, deliberation and compromise have been the exception rather than the norm – and this has directly contributed to the divided state the country now finds itself in today.
Some scholars will point to the 1950s through the 1970s as a “golden era” for Congress, when partisan gridlock was a far rarer phenomenon. Indeed, Congress did pass more legislation and functioned more smoothly as a lawmaking body – but this should not be confused with bipartisanship, consensus, or even good lawmaking.
Instead, this era was marked by Democrat dominance of Congress. The liberal party, largely bolstered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal coalition, controlled the House from 1955 until 1995, and the Senate from 1955 to 1981.
With this control, Democrats steamrolled the interests of Republicans, realizing the fears of the Founding Fathers that the majority might use its power to silence the minority. They massively expanded the power of the federal government and encroached on individual liberties in the process.
The narrative popular in most political history courses today is that Republicans’ sweeping victories in the 1994 midterms behind Newt Gingrich ushered in an era of partisan division. But as Kevin Portteus, a professor of politics at Hillsdale College, stressed to me, “The facts in their fullness don’t support the theory that Republicans and conservatives are to blame for what has happened to Congress.”
Instead, Republicans’ sudden re-emergence as a legitimate threat to Democrat control of Congress was merely a reflection of decades of simmering resentment over Democrat efforts to erode the nation’s founding principles and ignore conservative interests.
One incident in 1984 in particular underscored how lopsided and dangerous Democrat power had become. Following an inconclusive and hotly contested election in Indiana’s 8th Congressional District, most evidence suggested the Republican candidate won. But Democrats, using their majority in the House, voted to recognize and seat the Democrat candidate anyway.
“The new generation of Republicans learned their lesson – not only that Democrats had no interest in working with them, but also that Democrats would do anything to hold on to power,” Portteus said. Once conservatives began to challenge Democrat power, the left began labeling them “radicals” – the beginnings of today’s claims that Republicans led by Trump are a “threat to democracy.”
Trump’s emergence on the political scene is similar to Gingrich’s in the sense that it exposed tensions that had been building for some time. As much as the left blames Trump for political divisions that exist in the country today, he simply gave voice to the forgotten men and women of the country who had been scorned by the political establishments in both parties for decades. Trump finally began talking about the things that mattered to them, from the opioid epidemic to unchecked illegal immigration and the mass exodus of manufacturing jobs.
“The fact that the American people themselves have become increasingly polarized not on trivial but on fundamental matters is reflected in the legislature and the political parties,” said Professor Portteus, who teaches the course “Congress: How It Worked and Why It Doesn’t.”
As he explained, sometimes there is no room for compromise when it comes to these fundamental matters. One historical example he pointed to was the issue of slavery that deeply divided the country in the 1850s.
At that time, conciliatory Northerners rejected slavery but were willing to tolerate it in the South to preserve the union. But as Abraham Lincoln wisely recognized and articulated in his famous Cooper Union speech, the desire of the pro-slavery politicians to “rule or ruin” had charted a disastrous course for the country.
The ideological centers of the dominant parties in Congress at that time – the Democrats and the Whigs – were committed to upholding the institution of slavery to preserve “unity.” But despite this “consensus,” the American people were galvanizing against slavery, even if it meant open conflict.
Ultimately, a series of events led to the collapse of the Whigs and the emergence of a new political party – the Republican Party – founded on explicitly anti-slavery principles. On an issue like slavery, there was never any middle ground, as much as conciliatory politicians attempted to create one.
President Lincoln’s election was the final domino to fall to convince the southern states to secede. But it was developments in Congress, including the Kansas-Nebraska Act, that precipitated that break.
In our time, America faces fundamental questions about its own identity and place in the world. In the battle between the left’s “democratic-socialism” and the conservative America First vision advanced by Trump, middle ground is scarce.
If America is to make it through the turbulent times it finds itself in, Congress will as a matter of necessity play a vital role in building the future. As voters chart a new course for the country this fall, they should keep this in mind and advocate just as fiercely for change in Congress as they are for change in the White House.
Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.
We need term limits for both Congress and the Senate. Also we need to stop the pensions for them. I’m sure our founding fathers never anticipated that the representatives would be able to stay as long as they have. Look at Joe Biden. He gets a pension for being a senator, vice president, and now president.
“If my people which are called by My name, shall humble themselves,and pray,and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways;then I will hear from Heaven,and will forgive their sin,AND WILL HEAL THEIR LAND”.11Chron.7:14
Nice sentiment. I’m not optimistic. Americans must get over their love affair with divided government. Incumbents historically get re-elected at a greater than 90% rate. DemocRATS demand capitulation and have no interest in compromise for the good of America. DemocRATS and RINOs have demonstrated that they don’t Care about Americans, period. Conservatives need to be voted into office in both Houses in sufficient numbers for there to be genuine majorities.
Project 2025 is exactly the correct course to restore greatness in our nation. We The people must vote for conservatives at every level. Conservatism and Christian Revival are our greatest hopes to save our nation. The now Socialist Leftist Democrat Politicians have forced our nation closer toward totalitarianism than we should ever be,now is the time we best turn back.
I agree with all of this EXCEPT the comment about Trump and company being a THREAT TO DEMOCRACY.
HE truly is and WE SHOULD be as well. Reading the Declaration of Independence AND the US Constitution finds that WE ARE A CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC!!!!! Democracy is not mentioned in either and it’s time that we stand up and PROCLAIM it loud and clearly to correct the misunderstanding of the majority of Americans.
I also believe that conservatives MUST CAPITALIZE on the opportunity to EXPLAIN TO ALL THESE ILLEGAL ALIENS that THEY MUST VOTE REPUBLICAN TO ENJOY THE FREEDOMS THEY CAME HERE FOR or else they will be defeated and shackled by the same MARXISM THAT THEY FLED FROM.
Sincerely,
Mark
Burnside IL
I don’t think majority of them have any idea what their purpose really is It is a cash cow for them and nothing else .Had they had any interest in the well being of the nation they could have acted long ago They serve themselves first and last. Unanswerable and untouchable .Rarely are there any consequences for their wrong doing and there is more than enough of it. When did any of them ended up in jail even though half of them belong there.
While I understand the writers comments and calls for saving this once great nation, the only one that can “save” America is almighty God. This is a war of good vs evil. We need to pray like never before for our country. For those who do not believe in God, good luck in your future if you think you can do it all on your own. Now, and in eternity.
Get Rid of the RINOs, Never Trumpers & Old GOP Estd alone can Help
Term limits are not the whole answer. W must figure out a way to turn congress into what it was meant to be. This will likely take the use of the constitution to force members to do what is right for the country. This would include charging members like Chuck Schumer who refuses to bring, for example, the SAVE Act to the floor for a vote and the executive branch who threatened to Veto it rather than sign it with treason since its’ passage would prevent those ineligible to vote, like illegal alien from voting
Congress is hopeless. It is perfectly happy with the gridlock and Republicans are just as much to blame as the Demonbrats. The difference between the two is that the latter has no problem advancing their agenda and rubbing it in American’s faces, while the former goes along to get along while standing in front of cameras and voicing their disapproval.
democrats are horrible people they lie about everything.
they claim trump would destroy democracy while they are destroying democracy.
they claim that we need reparations for slavery and that the civil war monuments are all about slavery while pushing to elect kamala harris who is he great great grand duaghter of the biggest slave owner in jamacia.
they told us for years that saying biden is demented is a maga right wing conspiracy while they knew biden is demented
Not a chance, since the Democrats were allowed to steal control of the Senate and many seat in the House. Soft coup with very little pushback from Republican Congress members.
IMO
Time for some people in government to step up and get some backbone and take this country back to a better place it used to be and stop these communist that are up in Washington that are out to destroy this country Time to watch out for people like Soros he hates this country and funds anything bad in this country like Black Lives Matter since President Trump was not in office have they been around NO just like Antifia since President Trump was not in office they have not been around, only when President Trump was in office they both set out to destroy this country to make Trump look bad. Since the Dems have been in power have they been around answer is NO very strange not really goes to show what is going on in this country.
If people want to clean up Congress they have to do their part and stop voting Democrat! If we had that Red Wave we were hoping for in 2022 things would be far better in Congress right now. This is America’s last chance to get it Right because if the Republicans lose this year the Democrats will see to it we never win again by giving illegal aliens the vote. As the old song goes “It’s Now Or Never”!
as with everythign democrats do; when they claim someone else is doing something you know the democrats are already doing it. the democrats primary and installing of harris as candidate is exactly the same as their installing biden as president. The Democrats are doing everything they can to destroy democracy.
If you want to save democracy you have to restrict the government and especially democrats.
Well you forgot about the biggest problem with the USA DC Cesspool idiocy. They won’t Balance the Budgets. So, we retirement folks are taking it up our keisters and the younger generations aren’t making it as they should be.
What’s worse, these idiots are only making it worse every dang year. They won’t hold the line and say, NO MORE DEBT.
I’m going to say this until I cannot say anything again.
We need an Article V convention of States for a Balanced Budget Amendment to stop the idiocy of uncontrolled debts. If we fail to stop this nonsense, our future generations will not have the opportunity we had. Any Seniors who survive on Social Security will be left behind quickly.
You think there’s rioting and crime now, just let these people continue to print money we don’t have on crap our Constitution doesn’t allow them to do, and they can’t sell bonds because we’re not trustworthy anymore.
In order to stop this, we must force our elected government to balance our budgets.
Let’s hope voters chart a New Course away from Socialism and back to our Constitutional Republic. That means back to a GOP majority and a Conservative GOP majority at that.
Commenter “Spitfire” posted the words of II Chronicles 7:14. It is needed today more than in my lifetime of 82 years. (Note: The US has been known as a Christian nation since its inception.) Here it is again: “If my people which are called by My name, shall humble themselves,and pray,and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways;then I will hear from Heaven,and will forgive their sin,AND WILL HEAL THEIR LAND”. So, are we still a Christian nation? There are plenty folks who are. This is our call for our nation.
The House of representatives right now is the American people’s only hope for Democracy. They must withstand the attempts by the Senate and President to create procedures where election cheating is enhanced and attempts to pack the Supreme Court are being attempted so unconstitutional Democrat desires will be declared constitutional and America will cease to be a land governed by Constitution and Law.
Congress supposed representatives of U.S.!
NO VOTE FOR NEVER TRUMPERS !!