Are the acts of Congress promoting the true interests and confidence of the people?
Individuals in Congress are there to promote the true interests of the people they represent but their actions in these economic times leave much to be desired. The reasons behind these actions have varying opinions not the least of which is party positions on the issues. A close second it is felt is special interest groups who lobby for their individual needs and sometimes issues which are important to the general public.
Another impact or influence which often comes to light is the influence of campaign contributions to election campaigns. It is a necessary part of election campaigns to receive donations and the recent Supreme Court ruling eliminating the cap on political contributions will change the political landscape. Campaign contributions are a necessary activity but it depends upon who is providing the funds to individual candidates.
We have a number of career politicians who have served the public well while others not so much. Politicians who are constantly being reelected by their constituents are not necessarily a bad thing as it depends on the actions and decisions they make. If they have the best interest of the country and those they represent in mind when they take action it is a good thing.
The current environment in Congress needs to drastically change. Recent elected officials have heard the cry of the public and are the reason why they were elected. The new blood or philosophy of those newly elected to Congress from the past election is a breath of fresh air to say the least. They are fighting for our rights and honoring the Constitution but they need help.
The mindset of many individuals in Congress who have been there for years is not on what is best for the American people and the Country. It seems to be all about party ideology not what is right.
George Washington could not have said it any better than the quote presented below. He said:
“The best way to preserve the confidence of the people durably is to promote their true interests.”
The decisions being made by some elected officials give the impression they do not even know what the true interest of the American people are or they just ignore the polls. Public approval of the job Congress and even the President is doing is as low as it has been in years. The current bickering between the political parties gives a bad tasted to the public. It is not about who is right or wrong but the parties taking an issue and working together to resolve it.
We have many critical issues facing our country now and into the future not the least of which is our national deficit. Other issues such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are also high on the list. Many facts about the actions of both political parties are being distorted to some extent. It is true that some approaches being presented do not have any basis to reality. They want to keep doing the same thing over and over to attempt a different result. We need new approaches to the problems facing our country. Constantly throwing money at an issue is not going to change the outcome. Money is only a temporary solution and from the past attempts by Congress the problem or even the path to resolution has not been successful in the way it was anticipated.
This election year there are many individuals running for Congress that has new innovative ideas to address critical issues. Some of these individuals are asking to be reelected while others are asking to replace those who are supporting the same unsuccessful actions of the past. We need to increase the support of those individuals who want to honor the Constitution and do what is right for our country and the citizens. Making statements that an individual will honor the Constitution must be backed by previous actions of those running for office for all levels of government. Government overreach is rampant and needs to be curtailed to the extent that it is a support function not a doctorial function.
In addition to honoring the Constitution our right to privacy must be honored by Congress and those we elect. We have seen a number of privacy issues surface which creates concern. Some say that this election year will not see much change in the makeup of Congress and I hope this will not be the case.
We currently have some elected officials who have voted their conscience and stood up to party philosophy or positions on specific proposals. These are the individuals who we need to keep in Congress regardless of party affiliation. There are good people on both sides of the isle they just need the support to change the culture of Congress. In looking at some recent actions by elected officials we must ask ourselves before we vote whether their change of attitude is the possibility they will be replaced for their prior actions/decisions. Let us hope the individuals we elect to the next Congress will change the attitude and culture to make the right decisions for us and our country.
