congressional act
by Brian Thomas
Published: April 18, 2008
“A thief is more moral than a congressman; when a thief steals your money, he doesn’t demand you thank him”
- Walter Williams
If you are one of the many partisan sheep that graze unknowingly through the political fields of Washington D.C., you are likely to believe that your party affiliates of choice are acting in your best interest. If that is so, then, my friends, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I can sell you.
In actuality, there are very few, if any, Congressional members who are truly investing time in understanding the will and best interests of the general public and their constituents. Mostly they are too concerned with maintaining their own political structure and devising plans on how to gain re-election. Whether it be by holding babies during photo-ops or playing the never ending partisan piano which allows for attention whenever a politician strikes a certain key note, their thoughts lie mainly in holding power.
Power being a key word in the sense that we did not elect members of Congress, or any official for that matter, to hold “power” over our lives nor to tell us our best interests. The American public only grants a limited authority to these members to govern and act accordingly to the will of said public.
Unfortunately, this fundamental aspect of self-governing has been weakened by elected officials - not in the shadows of D.C. monuments, but right in front of our eyes everyday, on our televisions and in our newspapers. We have watched as our National Congress has been taken out of our hands and given to an elitist fraternity which denies change and hides behind its ritualistic absurdities.
James Madison wrote in his Federalist Paper #10 that the presence and/or control of factions would be deterred by the creation of the U.S. Constitution; however, it is apparent that the two leading political parties today have become factions in their own right despite the protection of the Constitution. Just review Article I of the Constitution and you will see how that the only governmental body responsible for the Congressional proceedings and its members is Congress itself.
Members of Congress are given a “get-out-of-jail-free” card once they have been elected by their constituents. Here are just some of the perks of being a member of Congress:
1) Are free from tort cases involving slander while comments are made in chambers, no matter the subject or matter.
2) Are free from arrest in almost all cases except for “treason, felony, and breach of the peace (Constitution).”
3) Only governmental branch that can increase or decrease salary, even their own.
4) Each house is solely responsible for its members and before a member can be censured or removed from his seat, their respective house must vote without any further approval.
5) Congress can also refuse to sit a newly elected member and hold their position and vote hostage.
Howard Laswell, one of the world’s leading political scientists, once defined politics as “… who gets what, when, and how.” Congressional elites have taken this definition to heart and are methodically searching for their next prize. And why not, since Congress basically governs its own actions and actors. It becomes a game with few consequences and a lot of reward.
Review all of the scandalous cases that happen to flood the media every so often; everything from Korea-Gate to the Jack Abramoff Scandal. You would think that those found guilty or that have confessed to these and other crimes would be removed from their office, but, in actuality, unless the officials retire themselves under pressure, they are almost never expelled. Since the mid-twentieth-century, only three members have been charged and subsequently expelled. Just look at the scandal involving presidential candidate John McCain. Though I am quite sure Obama and Clinton have their own skeletons, McCain was one of Congressmen involved in the Keating 5 Scandal.
Congress has become a Broadway play, its members are the actors and the American public has been removed from the director’s seat and has been placed in the audience. We are forced to watch as every deed is played out before us. If nothing is changed and we allow ourselves to be divided by partisan politics, then we will be consumed by a never-ending Congressional Act.
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