Congress Run Amuck!

It seems obvious to say that Congress has lost its moral compass.  It seems obvious to say that Senators and Members of the House are focused, not on the best interest of the country, but on the interests of their political party first, on the interests of their state second, and the country last.  When the Constitution was drafted the concept of a Legislature was that each state would elect representatives who would enact laws in the manner that was “most beneficial to the people.”   In fact every Senator and Congressman is required in their oath of office to swear or affirm that they will …

“support and defend the Constitution of the United States…and bear true faith and allegiance to the same ,…and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.”

Today our lawmakers have become so consumed in representing what is “best for their party” or what is “best for their state” that they have lost track of what is “best for the country.”  The past debate and negotiations over raising the debt ceiling  that occurred at the beginning of August of 2012 were a great example.  There was extended debate over whether to raise the debt ceiling, which was not authorization to incur more debt, but only the recognition that we were obligated to pay back the debt we had already incurred.  Fareed Zakaria of CNN explained that by the time the debt ceiling was actually increased, the damage had been done.  He explained that:

“To come at it now after the budget has been passed is like getting your Visa bill and calling up the company to say, “Actually we don’t want to buy all that stuff we bought.”

 

Vladimir Putin condemned the United States has become the “laughing stock of the world,” and described the unsustainable debt of the U.S. as “living like a parasite on the global economy.” 

Now that the Senate and House have “averted the fiscal cliff” American might think that we can rest easy.  Markets are surging this morning and all is well for a few weeks.  By the time the Dow opened this morning it was up 263 points, which is the biggest surge in six months.  Stocks around the world followed suit.     Major indexes in Britain, France, and Germany, Greece, Spain, and Asia all surged as a result of the news of resolution in America.

 

The real problem is that this is a temporary fix.  Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, has already signaled a need to raise the debt ceiling another $2.4 trillion dollars.  It was just August 2, 2011 that Congress finally voted to approve raising the debt ceiling by 2.4 Trillion Dollars.   After only 15 months, we are about to be faced with the need to raise the debt ceiling once again.   It seems that each time the national debt reaches a crisis level Congress prolongs a resolution as long as possible.  Republicans oppose raising taxes, and Democrats resist cuts in spending.  Meanwhile the national debt continues to increase, the debate focuses on the immediate problem rather than a long term solution, and the world increasingly loses confidence in the American economy.  Americans have lost confidence that any long term solution will be reached.  Billionaires continue to pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries, and Medicare patients are sustained in hospitals with no hope of recovery, causing the national debt to spiral out of control.  Challenges in the country go unresolved.  Global warming is resulting in devastating storms and fires across the country.  Crime is at an all-time-high.  Assault weapons are available to mentally ill patients.  Our education system is an utter failure.  We are still dependent on foreign oil.  More women are having children out of wedlock than ever before.  Family members of politicians are working as pimps and the Office charged with security for the country has refused to disclose crucial documents that might reveal the truth.   We are facing a crisis in this country, and our law makers are so consumed with promoting their political party’s agenda, that virtually none of the problems facing the country get resolved.  People like Sarah Palin are elevated to positions that cause untold harm to the country, and Alaska, with no accountability.  Alaskan tax payers fund television shows promoting Bristol Palin as a single mother, who admits she is a failure as a parent, and we watch as Tripp hits, kicks, says he hates his mother, and calls his mother and aunt faggots.

The bodies of Trayvon Martin and Chavis Carter lay cold in their graves as we begin the new year.

Women continue to be drugged and sold into slavery, to provide sexual services for powerful men with money.  Roe v. Wade was decided over 30 years ago, and law makers are still trying to prohibit the right of a woman to choose to have an abortion.  Presidential candidates promote “personhood” laws without even understanding how the birth control pill works.  Politicians have resorted to attempting to win elections by lying and restricting the vote.  Loving v. Virginia was the 1967 Supreme Court Case decided 45 years ago ruling that it was a fundamental right of people to choose who they marry, but we are still debating that issue.  While people advocate prayer to “resolve” the condition of being homosexual, scientists recognize that the trait of homosexuality is inherited, not a choice. 

America has real problems that require hard working politicians, motivated by a common goal, to address.  Our Senators and Congresspeople receive almost $200,000 in salary and benefits that include health care and retirement.    It’s time we demand that our elected official earn their salaries, and work to solve some of the many problems facing this country.  By focusing on the fiscal cliff, the debt ceiling, and other budget matters as they have, we are not addressing many of the other problems facing this country.  By dealing with the budget issues in such a piece-meal fashion, we are promoting a Congress that is consumed with budget issues, and nothing else.  The families of the victims of the Sandy HookElementary School shooting are crying out for someone to address their loss.  The soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and those residing in military hospitals are begging for someone to address that challenges they face.

As 2013 begins, let our elected officials become focused on addressing the many problems of the country, instead of the problems facing their political party.  May this be a year of solutions, instead of more problems.  May our elected officials change their focus from re-election to survival of the United States of America.

 

 

 

 

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