Friday, January 11, 2019

America on the Brink: A Congress in Crisis


By Mildred Robertson

Our government is comprised of three distinct co-equal branches of government intended to bring balance to our nation’s governance.  It is sometimes referred to as a “Three Legged Stool”. It is necessary for each branch to carry out its function to maintain a stable government. The unorthodox presidency of Donald J. Trump appears to threaten that stability; and the “stool,” which represents our government, is in danger of toppling.  We have arrived at this juncture, due in large part to the failure of Congress to carry out its duty to perform oversight and represent the people who elected them.

As envisioned by our Founders, Congress is called upon to “share” power with the president and Supreme Court. But the Trump presidency has challenged this convention by power grabs that have gone unchallenged by the Republican-led Congress.  To date, only the courts have challenged the immoral, unlawful and/or unconstitutional acts of the Trump presidency. The impotency of the 115th United States Congress has placed this nation on the brink of a Constitutional crisis.

After two years under this administration we have seen unprecedented attacks on the values, mores and legal precedents that have made America a unique world leader. As the 45th president attempts to unilaterally govern, we find ourselves plummeting toward an autocracy that devalues women, discriminates against minorities, is oblivious to sound fiduciary policy, and promotes factless policy. Under Trump’s soulless leadership, the worst tendencies of the most depraved of our society have been amplified.  

As the nation whirls in a downward spiral, those who could regulate this run-away presidency stand silent and complicit. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan was all but invisible throughout his tenure as Speaker of the House; allowing House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes to corrupt the investigations of wrong-doings by the Trump administration while passing a deficit-busting tax cut for the rich.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked all efforts to legislatively circumvent Trump’s overreach regarding presidential powers. He stands silently now as the president holds the nation hostage over an ill-conceived wall that is both useless and costly. Thousands of Americans are in danger of losing everything in the wake of a government shutdown devised to save face for the president’s failure to deliver on a campaign promise.  Still, McConnell stands silent.

The president has threatened to invoke emergency powers for no reason other than to get his way.   With two legs of the proverbial stool severely compromised, its ability to stand is in question.

We are in crisis, but it is a crisis that can be averted. Now that Nancy Pelosi has replaced Ryan as Speaker of the House, there is hope that Congress may once again begin to exert some power over this run-away presidency. But she cannot do it alone…the Democrats in the House cannot do it alone.

The Republicans in the Senate must rise above party and tend to the needs of the country. They will either step up or watch this nation devolve. They must embrace their oversight role and block this president’s attempts at authoritarianism. They will have to do it without any assistance from McConnell.

 It is my prayer that the vow Congressional Republicans made to the Constitution and the American people will override their loyalty to the Republican Party. Otherwise, this president will continue to destroy our nation, and we will plunge headlong over the brink.