If ever there was a chance for the legislative Branch of The
United States Government to assert itself, that time is now.
The Oval Office is occupied by a man with no deeply-held
policy positions. That same man is advised by people with little-to-none
legislative experience. In the run-up to this weekend’s government shutdown,
President Trump made it clear to all that he has no idea how to actually
govern.
Congress has made this same fact clear for the past 9 years.
It does not have to be this way.
The next three years could be a golden era of bipartisanship
if the rational middles from both sides of the aisle work together to craft
moderate, reasonable legislative proposals. The bomb-throwers on the left and
the right can vote against these proposals, but if 67 Senators and 291
representatives stay together, they can accomplish a lot in three years.
Once Moderation forces a seat at the table for itself, it
cannot be beat. There are things most Americans agree on, even in this highly
polarized age. Here are a few things that would have overwhelming support
across the country:
- · Rebuilding America’s infrastructure
- · Reforming America’s immigration policies to recognize the need for a country to control its own borders AND, at the same time, acknowledge that immigration makes us a stronger country
- · Agreeing to a process for creating legislative districts that is independent of political parties
- · Addressing the looming crisis in both Social Security and Medicare in a way that sets both programs on firm footing for fifty more years.
The thing is, to really address these issues, members of
Congress would have to actually sit down together and talk. They would also
need to truly listen. And be willing to compromise. They would need to
deliberate.
Government by, of, and for the Base is not really working.
It is not sustainable. We, the voters, would have to stop making everything a
purity test. We would have to accept that real legislators compromise.
As a whacko Leftist Liberal, it would mean that I would have
to stop demonizing anyone who is opposed to single-payer healthcare. I would
also have to understand that reasonable people can disagree on the idea of mandating an
80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It would mean that my Whacko
Rightist Conservative brother would have to make room for the idea that the Second Amendment allows for states to craft rational gun control measures. He
would need to make mental room for the thought that not all regulations are
bad.
President Trump has shown himself to be inconsistent in his
policy stances—from month to month, week to week, and even hour to hour. If
there is a solid contingent of Senators and Representatives willing to take a
huge risk and step into the policy void left by an oddly uninformed Executive,
Congress could reassert itself and make some things happen.
A little bit of competence demonstrated by at least one
branch of the government would be really welcome right about now.
