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The continuing drama unfolding in the chambers of the U.S. House of Representatives should have us all questioning the effectiveness of those we have elected to be our voice in national government.
The House has, for all intents and purposes, been shut down for the last couple of weeks following the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy through the efforts of a handful of Republicans. (For those pointing fingers at Democrats, they were always going to vote against McCarthy)
We really should have seen it coming, though, right? Kevin McCarthy was only put into the speakership in January, and that followed 15 rounds of votes, making it the longest since the Civil War. From there, if you were paying any attention, you could tell who was setting the agenda for major efforts in the House.
After McCarthy was removed from the post, Steve Scalise, the current House majority leader, received the nod. He realized he wouldn't be able to reach the needed 217 votes, and bowed out.
So, Jim Jordan of Ohio decided he would give it a shot. Jordan was elected to the House in 2008 and has managed to accumulate himself quite a power base within the party. He has sponsored legislation throughout his career, but none of his bills have ever become law.
As of Friday morning, he has gone through two rounds of votes for the Speakership, receiving 200 and 199 votes respectively. From what I've been reading, there is a growing effort, including among the Republican Caucus, to make sure he never receives the gavel.
The problem, and it's not just a Republican issue, is our two-party system has devolved into an overreaching game of "Gotcha" instead of actual governance. It's become more important for our elected officials to find ways to discredit and injure the "other side," and thus earning points with power players and campaign donors, than to actually do the work of the people.
Washington spoke against the idea of political parties in the early days of the United States, and for good reason. He foresaw the potential disaster of the consolidation of power among, not just a particular individual, but a particular group.
Eventually, we get to a point where one side or group feels there is no need to work with the others, where only their views are the correct ones and only they are deserving of holding the power to govern.
That's not what was intended when the Founding Fathers gathered to begin the crafting of our Constitution. There were disputes, certainly, but there was at least an understanding of the need for everyone to have a voice in the process, of a need for those in positions of authority (granted to them by the voters) to work for the benefit of all.
The chaos we are seeing cannot continue for much longer. With the House inoperable, there are a building number of bills which are at a standstill, and that includes necessary spending appropriations and other measures which, if not passed, would grind many of our nation's functions to a halt. That will only create more damage than we already have seen in recent years.
We're in the beginning phases of the 2024 election. It would behoove all of us to pay attention to the actions of those currently in office and the words of those hoping to be elected next year. We want people who are actually going to do the work of the people, to pass legislation for the benefit of our nation, and to keep things running smoothly. We don't need an agenda of extreme political ideology which will just keep us going through more of the same.
I've said it before, and I'll continue saying it. The pendulum can only swing so far before it breaks.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter @CHowellWDT)