Ineffectiveness and Hypocrisy of Congress

Here we are, in the middle of a pandemic, with a change in power and massive needs of our populace. Businesses are hurting, people are struggling and parents are just trying to cope. On top of all of that, a mob of thousands attempted to use force to change a democratic election. You would think that such times and issues would be a call to action, quick and deliberate action, by our elected officials in Congress. 

No - we have quickly settled into the ineffectiveness and hypocrisy that Congress and other levels of government are known for. Both major political parties are to blame. Finger pointing and obstruction, self serving back patting and showmanship, all of these things are on full display in this "new" Congress.

Imagine, a new President, legitimately elected by the majority of voters, has to struggle to get a Cabinet appointed. What are the objections and concerns? After four years of someone bashing everyone on a daily basis on Twitter, the concern now by Republicans and Joe Manchin is "mean tweets" by a nominee for a Cabinet post. Hypocrites. Or, the people who confirmed someone as unqualified as Betsy DeVos are now super concerned about competency in specific fields.

Both parties seem to have two speeds when it comes to getting anything done - slow and slower. First things first for them - three or four days of work every week and vacations and breaks before and after vacations. Very efficient. Then there's the committee structure or "lets gum up the works asap". Yes, there are public hearings where Senators and House Members play to cameras, make speeches instead of asking meaningful questions and where they always go over a silly five minute per speaker rule. Every once in awhile a Chairperson comes up with a radical idea to give everyone eight minutes. True hearings would allow trained and competent legal staff from each side the ability to ask the needed questions.

The Democrats have a one vote majority with the Vice President voting, except they don't really because Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are pretty much always a question on important issues. So, they can't get rid of the filibuster, can't get some nominees approved and have to tip toe around lots of issues. 

Covid relief should have been passed already. The John Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act has been hanging out there and should have been passed already, along with The For the People Act, first introduced and passed in the House in 2019 to expand voting rights, change campaign finance laws to reduce the influence of money in politics, limit partisan gerrymandering, etc. But no, they sit in the Senate waiting, waiting while states like Georgia pass new Jim Crow laws preventing people of color from voting. Thirty five states or more now have voter suppression laws pending or being drafted while the Senate waits. Yes, there are over 200 laws to suppress votes currently in state legislatures.

People want to argue about bipartisanship. These are the same people who pushed through judicial appointments and traded them for many of the 500,000 Covid deaths that have occurred  The same people who held up all sorts of legislation and voted over and over again to do away with the Affordable Healthcare Act. Interesting that now bipartisanship is so, so very important. The county's support for change should be the measure of bipartisanship, not the whims of old white men who mostly have been in office too long.

Attacks on Andrew Cuomo are the latest example of hypocrisy, both on his part and on the part of the people attacking him. Everyone has known for years what his management and personal style are like. He is a bully who holds grudges and pays people back for any lack of loyalty. Again, these are known facts. People have kowtowed to him forever. Now suddenly, everyone is appalled at his style of governing? Pretty disingenuous to me. He's the latest though to fill the vacuum left by the last bully in chief.

In the end, pressure has to be put on Congress and government on all levels to move more deliberately and swiftly. The inability of government officials to act in the interest of people is an embarrassment to everyone.