I'll be 74 years old next month, and in all that time I've never seen Congress in such a mess. Neither party has leadership worthy of the name, the majority party refuses even to hold discussions with the minority, and the last time a budget was passed under the normal process ("regular order") was fiscal year 1997. The 119th Congress is clearly the most useless in history.
What went wrong? Lots of ink has been spilled trying to answer that question, and the answer generally depends on the political leanings of the person offering an opinion. There are lots of articles, manifestos, OpEds, memes, and other screeds which offer suggestions for fixing the rot, some of which are silly and unworkable, but many of which are promising, if unlikely (for various reasons) ever to be adopted. Here are a few that I think show potential for returning Congress to something resembling other than a adult playroom:
1. Impose Term Limits. The Constitution limits Presidents to two terms, but places no similar limits on members of Congress. Unlimited terms allow individual members to accumulate power based on longevity rather than competence, and imposing term limits would bring regular infusions of new blood and ideas. A good balance of new and experienced members could be achieved by limiting Senators to two six-year terms and Representatives to six two-year terms, for a total of 12 years.
2. Adopt Flexible Rates of Pay. Set the salary of each member at the median income for the state they represent. This will ensure that members understand their constituents' financial reality.
3. Require Members of Congress to Obtain Health Insurance from the Exchanges in their Home States. Coupled with pay calculation described above, this will ensure that members understand the health care problems their constituents face, and help focus them on developing fair and workable solutions.
4. Conduct Routine Business Remotely. There are many options for secure online communication which will allow members of Congress to remain in their districts, close to their constituents, while conducting most ordinary legislative business. The full Congress could assemble periodically, perhaps quarterly or semiannually, for in-person sessions to conduct business or hold hearings that can not be conducted remotely.
5. Require Single-Issue Legislation. Omnibus legislation running to thousands of pages and larded with "poison pills" for political advantage are opaque, an invitation to corrupt deal-making, and insult to the citizens. Congress needs to return to the traditional budget process (regular order) and adopt a system of single-issue legislation to improve focus and understanding.
6. Bring Back Campaign Finance Limits. Terrible Supreme Court decisions like Citizens United allow corporations and the wealthy to pump unlimited amounts of money to their preferred candidates, giving these a dominant voice in the political process and ensuring that elected officials are beholden to their wealthiest campaign donors rather than the average voter. Campaign finance limits must be reimposed and enforced to reduce opportunities for corruption and ensure fairness in representation.
7. Require Members of Congress to Recuse Themselves from Drafting and Voting on Legislation in Which They Have Personal Financial Interest. The authority of Congress is diminished when there is an appearance of conflicts of interest.
More needs to be done, but this would be a good start ... something to think about as we begin yet another fiscal year with no budget.
Have a good day. More thoughts coming.
Bilbo
