What is the problem? There is more than one, but at least one of the major obstacles in Congress lies in the fact that nobody makes a decision that is primarily based on the problem. The problem is shunted aside while the members decide how votes will affect the next election process whereby they retain their jobs or lose them. In the House of Representatives, where two-year terms are the norm, the election process never ends. These people are running for office every day. In the Senate, political games-man-ship consumes the first four years of the six-year term and the last two are spent in raising money and running for office.
"A dire need for leaders"
We have a dire need for leaders and none appear in any visible context. We are presently witnessing a presidential primary, followed by a general election that will take the best part of two years! How tiresome. We are embroiled in a political manifest that consumes our nation and the populace is asked to find interest in hearing the ramblings of those presently being paid to represent their constituents, and are more absent than present, while staff members read the weekly congressional verbiage and interpret it's presumed content for their boss who is "on the trail" seeking support for the highest office available.
Is there any solution to this abysmal system of politics? There may be several, but the one that seems to make as much sense as any other lies in term limits. The problems of immigration, protecting the borders, health care, social security, etc., would be more easily embraced and administered by elected representatives who understand that they will not run for office again and they cannot be re-elected. Their mindset would be altogether different and their sense of solution and progress would be clearly delineated by fact, reason, and common sense. There would be no need to solicit votes, raise money, travel, often at tax payer expense, or be intimidated by party hacks, posing as leaders of democracy. Their attention could then be on the problems and the discussion of solutions could be fully exposed with no fear of retribution from those who might not "support" them in their next run for office.
There is no perfect solution, without doubt, and the problems that accompany newly elected representatives could present problems of their own, but once setting the term of office at four or six years, and arranging elections every year for the rotating numerical seats needed, we would be assured of having leaders, committee chairmen, etc. with five full years of experience as they lead the country for their last sixth year.
Until our representatives can operate with freedom we will have no statesmen, no evaluation of the problems that beg for answers and action, and no one in Washington who can actually think, propose, solicit, and compromise with those who, like themselves, address the issues without the nagging necessity of being re-elected.
The downside? There is one, no doubt, but it strains credulity to think it might be worse than a Congress who is rated with 14 percent approval. America's problem lies with men and women who aren't paying attention. Serve six years and go home. Now they can hear us.
