A truly excellent comment on Congress' role in health care reform

[ProSense]

For decades the Congress has been the Broken Branch of our Government. Since at least 1995 (and possibly before) Congress has done very little legislating as an independent and co-equal branch of our government. Mostly, the House and Senate have moved in lock-step with GOP Leadership (the Gingrich/DeLay era) or rubber stamped the wishes of a GOP President (the Bush era). The ability of various committees and members to craft legislation and learn to work together has been lost.

One Thing that is clear about the HRC debate is that Congress is being forced to relearn this skill. It is messy and unfamiliar territory to anybody who does not remember what a functioning Congress looked like. Most Reporters, staffers and Members have never covered or been part of a functional legislative process. The measurement for Legislative success over the last 15+ years has been: is Congress doing or not doing exactly what Leadership and/or the President wants them to do. The current HCR debate can not be measured by that yardstick. This time success will be measure by how well or how poorly Congress crafts Legislation.

President Obama has given the Legislative Branch his goals and preferences for legislation. He has not given them marching orders--and that is a good thing for our Democracy. Congress will have to sort out the details themselves. It is called Legislation and I for one am glad that this branch of Government is beginning to act like a co-equal part of the Government again. It is also good that President Obama refuses to give into the temptation to tell them exactly what to do. This tough love for the broken branch is way overdue.

I know that many are so used to the unitary executive meme of the Bush years that they think President Obama must do the same, but from our side. Many are dismayed that he is not using that power to ram through progressive policies and forcing a Democratic Congress to rubber stamp them. While it would make it easier to cover issues and fit them into familiar narrative structure, it would still be wrong.

Legislation is messy. Congress needs to do its job as a co-equal branch of the Government. The President in our system is not a King. I for one, am glad to see a President willing to let Congress Legislate as a co-equal.

Regardless of how the HCR debate turns out (and I think it will turn out just fine), this is a good thing.

Congress has been weak and broken for over twenty years. Fixing Congress is important. I'm glad to see the HCR debate be a step in that direction.

link

[phleshdef]

1. Excellent. Obama illustrated leadership in the way a President SHOULD instead of the way one COULD.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

7. GROWING PAINS INDICATE NORMAL PROCESSES ARE HAPPENING

[Beetwasher]

2. Thanks PS, Good Find!

Indeed. Imagine that. Congress earining it's pay as a co-equal branch of government. I think Obama is well aware of this and using this to get that back in line and behaving the way they are SUPPOSED to behave.

[Overseas]

3. K&R. //nt

[Schema Thing]

4. R, then K

[Spazito]

5. Excellent!

Excellent points made re a lack of recognition as to how Congress should work as opposed to how it abdicated it's responsibility for over 10 years previously. To too many, imo, the way Congress behaved during the latter Clinton years and all of the bush years is all they know. To some, while Congress was abdicating their responsibility during those previous 10+ years they were appalled yet, now, are appalled when President Obama/Congress don't act as the previous President and Congress did.

It has been interesting to watch.

[BlueCaliDem]

6. Well-written, to-the-point, and 100% accurate. Rec reading! Thanks! eom

[Armstead]

8. Yes now that the Democrats have the majority, let's get back to that good old Gridlock

The author forgets one unfortunate side effect of the "healthy functioning Congress."

It was often mired in Gridlock, a process in which a minority can prevent the majority can actually do ANYTHING constuctive.

And it did reqiure intervention by strong presidents to shepherd through strong agendas.

It's great that after eight years of having the GOP rammed down a series of abomonations down our throats, the Democrats have decided to restore this fine old tradition of inaction INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY DEALING WITH IMPORTANT ISSUES.

Is that what they meant by "Wait until we have a majority."

[phleshdef]

9. With all the bills that have been passed and the bill that is about to be passed...

...crying "gridlock" doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense.

[ProSense]

10. "The author forgets one unfortunate side effect of the 'healthy functioning Congress.'" Wait

as opposed to the smooth operation of a dysfunctional Congress?

[Armstead]

13. Congress is inhrently dysfunctional

It's a matter of lesser of evils.

Being a liberal Democrat, I'd rather see the liberals apply the screws when they have power.

[JTFrog]

11. K&R

[Clio the Leo]

12. "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States.."

.... but that's what happens when you let a former professor of Constitutional law into the White House.

We have no one to blame but ourselves! ;)

I have this overwhelming urge to salute a flag or something .... sing God Bless America! lol Bring out the fireworks!!!

[MarjorieG]

14. Obama mentioned having to relearn muscles when he took office. He meant it. Wish DU understood.