THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE: A CULTURE BUILT UPON DECEPTION

The Party first, their re-election second and We The People as an afterthought

WE THE PEOPLE believed that Congress worked for the benefit of the citizens of this nation. Over the past three decades our elected officials have made promise after promise yet have failed to deliver.

Fast forward to the election of 2016, the election of 2020, and the Lockdowns. These three events have been the catalyst to the Great Awakening. The election of 2016 brought us three years of promises kept. It has given us a view that government can work for the benefit of the people. The results of 2020 election drove home the reality that waiting for our elected officials to act on our behalf was a gross error of judgement.

The Elites hoped the Lockdowns would weaken if not destroy our businesses, our finances and mostly, our sanity. But they failed. Without the normal pressures and distractions of everyday life, we had time to think, reflect and realize that we have elected people that don’t deliver results. The smoke and mirror game has run its course. WE THE PEOPLE have our eyes wide open.

This analysis begins with looking at the House’s failure to serve those who elected them. I had questions: What prevents our elected officials from solving the problems of our nation? Why do they allow our national debt to grow? Why do they get along behind the scenes but squabble and bully colleagues on CSPAN? Why have we given a free pass to the elected officials who continually screw us over?

Congress is the most dysfunctional entity within our government. In the business world we believe that “what gets measured, gets done.” That’s how performance standards are set. Attached to these standards are promises that if you deliver, you keep your job. The benefits of achieving one’s goals are rewards, perks, and promotions.

Based on that premise, I set out to identify the discrepancy between what we believed our electors were accountable to do. Looking at how they have performed their duties and to whom they are accountable is a different story.

Becoming a member of the House of Representatives represents dreams that came true. They enter with a patriotic desire to fix our country’s problems, and a belief that the party stood for fiscal restraint, smaller government, and less regulation.

The newly elected arrive for their 8-day long Freshman orientation. Many of the newly elected come with morals and ethics. They have plans to live up to their campaign promises.

The Orientation is the indoctrination into unspoken ways to succeed as a Member in the House. Orientation introduces specific behavioral expectations:

·      “Better to sink the nation in debt than rock any boat to attempt reform.” Translated: Reform is against our own interests. 

·      “Avoid tough ideological decision on the record.” In other words, “Do what Leadership tells you to do!”

·      “You have to Pay-to-Play”. To remain in good standing with the party the Pay-to-Play scheme requires every congressional representative pay their dues to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

One significant reason the public feels that Congress never seems to resolve issues is due to the practice of Continuing Resolutions (CRs). For more than 26 years, the Omnibus Bill has been modified slightly from the original form that was cast nearly three decades ago. These CRs have given our politicians cover from their prevaricating ways of operating. The entire concept of a government shutdown is something they use to give the impression that they are doing their jobs.

CRs prevent transparency, allow favors to be given without most Members even noticing the line or two that’s covertly slipped into the CRs. Long before Nancy Pelosi ordered the House to vote on the Affordable Care Act prior to reading the bill, the lack of transparency has existed not only with the public, but with their own colleagues.

Our current border crisis is not solely the fault of Joe Biden and his administration. Two Republicans in leadership roles had an equal hand in violating the public’s wishes. Building a wall to control illegal immigration was a pinnacle of Trump’s campaign. While Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy joined forces with Senator Mitch McConnell to prevent Trump’s wall from being built.

Trump needed to prevent a government shut, which was a provision in the 1,700-page Great Border Security Compromise Act of 2019, McCarthy and McConnell intentionally inserted a fatal flaw. They took control away from Trump by giving the southern-border municipalities final say to nix wall construction on their turf for any reason they chose. The duo was aware of the blue political leanings in those municipalities. https://tinyurl.com/mryerab2

The Lobbyists who represent corporations use leverage to get what they want, especially related to legislation. Two weeks after Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology firm, pleaded guilty in a fraud case, Capitol Hill came to their rescue. The “fiscal cliff” bill intended to set new Medicare price restraints. Though the bill did not mention Amgen by name it strongly favored one of Amgen’s drugs.

The provision, buried in Section 632 of the law delayed price restrains on a lucrative Amgen pill. Amgen has a small army of 74 lobbyists in the capital and was the only company to successfully and aggressively argue against the price rise. All other drug companies had their prices cut, as per the bill.

CRs continue to sink our nation in debt. The only accountability levied on the elected occurs every two years. In between they laden the country with more debt, giving more responsibility to agencies. Even when certain programs expire, rarely do they end them. The result is a large-scale demonstration allowing our federal government to grow ever larger.

The result of allowing expansive growth means government agencies become increasingly dysfunctional. No signs of serious accountability for consequential mistakes have created a culture of complacency. That complacency started with Congress.

Regardless of the Party to which the Speaker belongs they practice incessant procrastination. The Speaker promises Members that “after the next election some of the tough votes will be put on the calendar.”

If the goal is to hide what they vote for because it will hurt their re-election, wouldn’t that mean that any legislation would adversely impact their constituents? If they were voting for legislation that would make things better for their constituents, then there would be no need to fear elections.

Some people have outwardly discouraged attempts to help Congress get better at passing laws. They argue that gridlock is good, built into our constitutional system of checks and balances. But checks and balances only work if the United States has a functional Congress. That we do not have.

The House has the power of the purse but rarely seems to use that power. Instead ignoring waste of taxpayers’ funds is the norm. Why do we have an Oversight Committee if they ignore examples such as these?

A General Accounting Office review concluded that the Office of Management and Budget stated that the vast majority of agencies do not have adequate policies for managing software licenses. One software-management firm estimates that “the US government wastes up to $2 billion per year, or 25 percent of its annual $8 billion software budget, on shelfware (unused software), under-utilized software, and non-optimized management of software licenses.”

Despite the House being notified that Federal employees and a contractor diverted more than $1 million of charitable contributions to spending on themselves for in-office massages, meals at every meeting, and other luxuries and unnecessary expenses, nothing was done with this evidence. While taxpayers do not provide those funds, “some 41 federal workers were being paid full-time salaries to administer just one local chapter of the government’s annual workplace charity drive, the Combined Federal Campaign.”

You might wonder why orientation takes eight days. It’s because there are eight days of lunches and dinners and cocktail parties, sponsored by Party Leadership, Lobbyists, and Donors (but paid for by taxpayers). All the entertaining is far more than a time to meet one’s new colleagues and meet with the House Leadership. The primary goal is to introduce the Freshman to the Washington social scene where most of the deals are done.

In 2015, Speaker Boehner hosted a lavish dinner in the Library of Congress. He noted the surroundings of gilded ceilings, marble columns, while the newly elected dined on caviar, filet mignon, and the best wines. He concluded with: “You, our newly elected are part of the Elite. In the history of Congress there have only been 10,214 individuals who have had this privilege bestowed upon them. Orientation is used to reinforce their Elite status.

Over the years, the Rules Members must abide by change. The most important time for members to be able influence the Rules of the House is prior to confirmation of the Speaker. At the start of the new session in 2023, the House Freedom Caucus used this opportunity so the public would learn that leaders of both political parties had consolidated so much power that most Members of Congress have had no meaningful role in the legislative process, other than voting yea or nay. The Freedom Caucus wanted aggressive reforms to return the People’s House back to the American people.

However, succeeding in the House and the Party means “do what Leadership tells you to do.” When they don’t go along, to get along, the punishment can range from being admonished publicly, losing a committee assignment, evicted from a sub-committee, or no funds for re-election. Members are often subjected to bullying, embarrassment, and childish pettiness.

When former Congressman Dave Brat voted against Boehner for House Speaker, he discovered his House dining room privileges were revoked. Members of Congress routinely go on official trips called CODELs. When Congresswoman Cynthis Lummis (R-WY) voted against a fellow Republican, Hal Rogers (R-KY) for Appropriations chair, her scheduled trip to South Sudan was cancelled. Former Congressman Steve King (R-IW) had an approved trip to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to discuss the persecutions of Christians in Egypt. But he hadn’t voted along party lines, so his trip was cancelled. King kept his commitment to meet with the Egyptian president, paying for the trip himself.

A Speaker has the authority to reprimand, fine or censure Members for misconduct. The most egregious cases lead to expulsion. Expulsion is rare. In the history of the House only six members faced expulsion. In 1861, three Democrat Members fought for the Confederacy. In 1980, Mike Myers (D-PA) was convicted for bribery. In 2002, James Traficant (D-OH) was expelled for racketeering, bribery and tax evasion. The only Republican expelled was George Santos (R-NY) for wire fraud and money laundering.

In the House, the Speaker determines how much authority to give committee chairs. You are a good committee chair if you do what Leadership tells you to do. If you don’t, they remove you. The same expectation is placed upon every committee member. This undermines that chamber’s lawmaking effectiveness.

During the eight-day Orientation the Freshmen Congressional Representatives “try out” for committee assignments.  Often the first question a Committee Chair poses is if they will vote with the Leadership.

When Republican Congressman Tom Price of Georgia, the chairman of the Budget Committee, booted Congressmen Tim Huelskamp of Kansas and Justin Amash of Michigan for not supporting a budget that raised the national debt, the message to the incoming Freshman representatives was clear.

By the end of orientation, they realize that succeeding in the Party means sell their soul, accept the status quo, pay-to-play, and follow leadership.

The Pay-to-Play scheme to which House members must adhere (to remain in good standing within the Party or suffer the consequences) has nothing to do with serving the needs of WE THE PEOPLE. Dues must be paid to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). That means during the two-year term raising $220,000 is mandatory. The committee on which they sit dictates the ease or difficulty they will have in raising funds.

Once one becomes a committee or sub-committee chair the amount can double. An “A” committee chair must raise $450,000 to simply do what the people elected him to do. The “A” committees include Ways and Means, Financial Services, Appropriations, Energy & Commerce, and Rules. Committees are assigned a letter – A, B, or C – based on how important they are to Leadership.

If one wants to move up in House Leadership, the price to play is as follows: Deputy Whip - $2.5 million; Conference Chair - $5 million; Whip - $5 million; Majority Leader - $10 million; and Speaker - $20 million.

The performance standards for Congressional Members’ success are NOT based upon legislating. With 50% of their time used to raise funds, most of the legislation is compiled by Staffers. If they pay their dues to the NRCC and obey Leadership’s directives, Members can count on financial support for their re-election. If not, the NRCC has been known to recruit and finance a primary challenger. In one instance, in conjunction with the Florida State Senate, controlled by Republicans, they redrew Congressman Dan Webster’s congressional district because he chose to run against John Boehner for the speakership.

The way they hide how their votes show a lack of transparency and accountability with WE THE PEOPLE. The way they make promises to get our votes is met with roadblocks and expectations to vote for bills as leadership dictates. The way they use CSPAN to grandstand and gaslight the public, also allows them to berate other members publicly. This shows the People their true character.

In the end, their top priority is to ensure their Party’s control and the re-election of its Members.

Over many decades the public has sensed that Congress did NOT put the People first. When one gets away with legal corruption, it only encourages more duplicity, less accountability and allows them to avoid solving the critical issues that contribute to the downfall of our great country.

In Part II we will look at how they use House Rules and how the budget process drives the country in further debt.