Our Dysfunctional Congress

Fire alarms, dress codes, and Motions To Vacate make Congress more of a joke than it already was.

What in the world is going on in the U.S. Congress? Last Wednesday, on Peach Pundit the Podcast, me and Jason Pye were resigned to the fact that the government would shut down since it seemed impossible Congress would pass either a budget or a continuing resolution. But, we were wrong!

Late Saturday night, a small group of Republicans, led by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, tanked a bill that would have cut government spending by 8% and increased funding for securing America’s southern boarder. Silly me, I thought that’s the kind of stuff Republicans wanted to do. Faced with the looming deadline, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy cut a deal with the Democrats to keep funding at current levels for 45 more days while a longer term spending plan could be negotiated.

In response, Gaetz finally made good on his threat to move that McCarthy be removed as Speaker, to be replaced by….nobody? Gaetz and his allies seem to have no plan for that. Good job guys!

Gaetz’s motion passed 216-210, meaning that as I type, there is no Speaker of the House. House Speaker Pro-Tem Patrick McHenry will act as Speaker until a new one is elected.

The run up to the continuing resolution passing was not without drama caused by a Democrat. Congressman Jamaal Bowman actually pulled a fire alarm, forcing a House office building to be evacuated. Fellow Democrats like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended Bowman as opposed to you know, saying it was a stupid, juvenile thing to do.

Meanwhile over in the Senate, after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decided to relax the unofficial Senate dress code, paving the way for Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman to wear his shorts and hoodie on the Senate floor, Senators passed the SHORTS Act (ha!) to create an official dress code. A small victory for decorum!

All of this is just what happened in the past week. Is this middle school or the Congress of the United States?

Gaetz seems to be motivated by personal animus as opposed to any principle of good government or conservatism. Nobody says these folks have to love each other, but is it too much to ask that a grown man set aside his own personal feelings so that the business of the country can be dealt with? I guess it is.

We could go on and on about this kind of stuff (who could forget September’s Boebert-gate where the Congresswoman from Colorado vaped and felt up, and was herself felt up by her date at a performance of Bettlejiuce the musical) but it all makes my head hurt.

At some point we, the voters, are going to have to do something about this. We can’t keep electing children trapped in grown up bodies to high office in this country. At some point we have to say enough is enough and not let the jackassery continue. Somehow people who actually want our elected leaders to act like leaders will have to figure out a way to get grownups elected to office, in place of the people who are acting like fools. Right now the fools are winning and the rest of us are losing.

Meanwhile Trump/Biden The Rematch is coming in 2024. UGH!