Quite a few months ago an article from USA Today was written on the effectiveness of Congress. It admitted in the article that the Congress under Obama’s first term was one of the most ineffective ever. Over the span of two years only 61 bills were passed—making it one of the most ineffective in history.
I think we can all recall the pervasive lack of compromise on Obamacare, the debt ceiling, immigration laws and a vast number of other things. The image of two little kids fighting on the playground comes to mind. Sadly, not much has changed.
The latest State of the Union address had both Democrats and Republicans at each other’s throats again with Republican spokesman Senator Marco Rubio accusing Obama’s policies of hurting middle class families, and then Democrats swooping down to defend their political leader.
But this isn’t even the beginning of their squabbling. During the new year a compromise was to be made on the fiscal cliff. One may have been made, but there was enough bickering to send both parties to a time out.
So all this has got me thinking, “where’s the love?” I would like to think that the politicians that we’ve elected into Congress enjoy what they do. I’d like to imagine a Congress that’s happy and wants to see the United States become a better place. But instead we have people in office who seemingly prefer to argue until they get their way.
In other words, if politicians in office took a StrengthsQuest test their strength would be competition but never harmony.
“Despite our differences, I know that both Republicans and Democrats love America,” said Senator Rubio in his response to the State of the Union address.
Then why does that seem so hard to believe?
Politicians are in office because we believe in them. We believe that they want to be the voices of the public, help us put cash in our pockets, help us get a good education, protect our homes and country, and, ultimately, make the United States a better place.
One would think that this overarching passion for the betterment of humanity would be enough to unite them. That, despite their differences in opinion, Democrats and Republicans would find compromise if not easily then at least eventually.
It seems to me that they’ve lost sight of their purpose. Politicians are pushing agendas instead of voices and that’s why the government is in a traffic jam. And I’m starting to think that’s why nothing is getting done in the realms of the White House.
So what’s the solution? You and me. Politicians can’t ignore and can’t argue over the unanimous voice of change from the people they represent. That’s when the agendas stop, the bickering ends, and the power of the people echoes through Washington, D.C.
Or perhaps politicians are representing a divided nation? A nation that can’t agree that something needs to be done, but can’t agree on how.
Articles referenced:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/02/12/rubio-obama-sotu-republican-response/1914071/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/09/21/congress-adjourns-early/1582867/