The 118th Congress: who is responsible for this disaster of a legislative body?
Is it them or is it us? Because, to quote Erykah Badu, I think “we took a wrong turn somewhere.”
opinion columnist
LZ Granderson
LZ Granderson writes about culture, politics, sports, and living life in America.
How is it that the same group that ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) from office is thinking about a sequel because his hand-picked replacement in the president's chair, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), is Do you dare to try to govern? It's as if they expected him to simply filibuster until November, while the nation's business ground to a halt. “No compromise” might be a powerful slogan on the campaign trail, but democracy, by definition, is compromise.
Yet here we are, with the far-right fringe of the House GOP willing to shut down the government if that's what it takes to get everything they want. Even after we've all seen what happens when the Matt Gaetzes really get what they want.
Really. Who is responsible for this Congress?
Think about it: The same day the MAGA wing fired McCarthy, Hunter Biden was in federal court in Delaware pleading not guilty to gun charges. However, because Gaetz, the Republican representative from Florida, and company chose to lead an uprising that day, the only thing that was talked about was McCarthy's historic firing. Gaetz diverted attention away from the president's son and focused it squarely on himself. Narcissism aside, that was painfully shortsighted. He didn't even have the foresight to wait 24 hours to throw his tantrum.
The same political boondoggle occurred again Tuesday when House members were considering holding Hunter Biden in contempt for refusing to testify behind closed doors.
Suddenly, the president's son enters. And what happens? Egos, crisis, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Declares she is not an expert on pornography.
From the moment Hunter Biden showed up, it was clear that the MAGA wing had not even considered the possibility of him appearing at the contempt hearing. This despite the fact that he already displayed a more aggressive strategy a month ago, when he held an unexpected press conference outside the Capitol defying his subpoena. Hunter Biden's confrontational approach is what inspired these lawmakers to meet Tuesday; However, apparently no one in that think tank was prepared for him to attempt something similar.
And this is the caucus that the 118th Congress is allowing to cause all the fuss?
Who is responsible for this?
Do we blame the George Santos of the world for manipulating voters, or the Republicans who support their ilk only for parroting Trump?
Since 2001, Congressional approval ratings have fallen steadily.. Now it's an anemic 15%. After what we've witnessed this week, I'm surprised it's that high. The country's military involvement in the Middle East is increasing, child care is unaffordable, the climate is chaotic; Whatever, there's a lot of work to do. However, Greene talks about pornography. Because? Because he brought naked photos of Hunter Biden to the Capitol. And the reason she was able to do it is because the Georgians of District 14 believe she is the best person for the job.
So who is responsible for the ineptitude of the 118th Congress?
Are.
District 1, in Florida: that's some political brain you have there in Gaetz. If he or one of his colleagues are eager for attention, they are likely to go after Johnson and then scan the list for the next politician foolish enough to take on that thankless speaking job.
I am not a fan of Johnson's policies, but I can appreciate his political agility. All of the revered House Speakers of the past demonstrated an ability to work across both parties and negotiate deals. “Commitment” was not always a toxic word. In fact, this is how we forge a way of living together.
Who is responsible for this Congress? It's tempting to point fingers at them, but the answer is always us. The reason Congress's approval rating is so low is simply this: For decades, we have been sending our anger and fears to Washington. We need to send consideration again, perhaps even compassion. A little strategic thinking certainly wouldn't hurt.
Meanwhile, whatever Congress is doing or not doing is what we voted for. Of course not approve. The collective ugliness we see in the Capitol is a reflection of our worst impulses.
