Why Gridlock Rules Washington
- Kaylin Bailey
- Nov 7, 2017
- 3 min read
On October 25, the Bob Graham Center hosted former congressmen David Jolly (R-Florida) and Patrick Murphy (D-Florida) in Pugh Hall on campus. The forum, titled "Why Gridlock Rules Washington," was a part of the two congressmen's tour, in which they speak about gridlock in Washington D.C. and why Congress is so dysfunctional.
Gridlock refers to the inability of laws to get passed due to disagreement amongst those writing up the legislation. This inability for compromise and teamwork affects the daily lives of Americans every day.
Why is it so difficult for grown men, who are literally voted on by the people to represent them, to draft legislation that will help the people of their district? It's not exactly rocket science. According to Jolly and Murphy, the problem is quite simple: peer pressure.
It isn't exactly the kind of peep pressure most college students are subject to, like partying when you don't want to party or wearing certain clothes to impress others. Congressmen are subject to the peer pressure of remaining loyal to their party. Basically if a Republican agrees with a piece of legislation with staunch Democratic values in it, they will be mulled to the ground and shunned out of Washington for supporting it.
Murphy gave an anecdote about his first weeks in Congress when he immediately befriended a Republican over a common interest in a bill that would put a stop to fraudulent government spending. Over the weeks, Murphy noticed less and less response from the unnamed Republican until finally running into him at a bar. The Republican drunkenly admitted that the House Speaker, who at the time was also a Republican, threatened the man with no longer supporting him if he were to continue work on the fraudulent spending bill. It simply wasn't "Republican" enough.
Murphy ended the anecdote by saying that "people put their party in front of country." The incentive in Congress is to polarize. The problem with that is, hardly any normal human being has strictly "right" or "left" views. Those who do are extremists and Trump voters are a good example. They feel strongly about strictly conservative policies, and some Americans don't quite identify.
In light of recent shifts in the Republican Party under the current administration, more and more people in Congress have started to feel alienated from their own party. Many are famously speaking out against their own party's leaders like Senator John McCain (R-Arizona). Just last week, Senator Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) announced he would not be seeking reelection and has called upon his party to not be Trump's play dolls on Capitol Hill. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) also announced he was not seeking reelection this week, also citing differences with the president. These men are doing what's right by standing up for the values they believe in instead of being treated like puppets by the executive branch.
Public participation is the only way to fix this gridlock. Jolly encouraged the audience to call, email, and mail letters to their representatives about issues that are important to the community. The one thing that could make a difference in Washington, other than the "peer pressure" to stay within party lines, is their district's people. The voters have the final say in whether they get reelected or not and politicians understand the importance of keeping their constituents happy. But the majority of people are pathetically unaware of what is going on in politics and quite frankly, it makes it easier for those in Congress to not represent them fully.
By becoming more aware of legislation proposals, your representatives, and what goes on in Washington, you could help stop the gridlock. Give your representative an incentive to vote on what the people want and not what other leaders want.
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