Thoughts on Congress

© Dr. Gary D. Lemmons, August 27, 2006

Beginning with the First Congress which convened in Federal Hall in New York City on March 4, 1789, citizens, like me, have been critical of the body.  We have pointed out its fallacies and shortcomings, and the members of that august institution have provided us with plenty of fodder for our complaints and chastening remarks.

It is interesting to note that the first legislation passed by the Congress on June 1, 1789 and signed into law by President Washington was a bill regulating the manner in which and by whom the “oaths” of the members of Congress would be administered.  The second piece of legislation, enacted on June 4, 1789, was the Hamilton Tariff Act, a tax, named for then Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton.

Just like the Congress to start off “swearing” and “raising taxes.”

Over the years, Congress has been peopled by a wide variety of our fellow citizens.  Some few have been statesmen of the highest order, some few have been criminals of the lowest degree, the vast majority has been adequate to mediocre, but all have been politicians.

There is no way to serve in the Congress without being elected as either a Senator or a Representative.  To be elected one has to run for office.  Running for office requires one to practice the art of being a politician.  Unless one is particularly adept in the art of politics, one will certainly be defeated by the more sophisticated candidate.

While some are better than others, the nature of the beast requires that the wise citizen be wary of politicians.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say that all politicians are crooked.  Rather, I would apply the Reagan doctrine… “Trust, but verify!”

Throughout our history, pundits, like me, have from time to time complained about the Congress not getting anything done.  These cycles come and go and are generally apt to occur when neither party is in a position of strength.  While the Republicans have a majority in both houses of Congress, right now, they do not have a sufficient majority to dominate hence, we have “slow growth” with respect to meaningful legislation on border security, health care, and control of spending.

Another reason for the sluggishness of the Congress has to do with the personality of the institution in the post-modern world of the 21^st Century.  Throughout much of the history of Congress, leaders on both sides were civil toward one another.  On the floor of the House or in the Well of the Senate, Democrats, Republicans, Whigs, etc. would debate the issues of the moment.  Yet, when the day’s work was concluded, it was not uncommon for members from varying parties to meet in the cloak room or in an office for some bourbon and light conversation.  Men like Sam Rayburn and Joe Martin, Mike Mansfield and Everett Dirksen, Carl Albert and Gerald Ford, although on different sides of the political spectrum, were friends.

Today, this isn’t so.  The depth of fanaticism that has seized both the Democratic and the Republican parties has generated a degree of dislike, if not outright hatred, one for another, that it is difficult for the two sides to maintain any degree of civility toward each other.

It is too bad that, from time to time, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert doesn’t invite Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner to his office for a stiff shot of Jack Daniels!  Of course, Bill Frist and Harry Reid could always drop by Teddy Kennedy's office for a snort!

Maybe all of their attitudes would be better.