United States Congressional Crisis
Who Are These Senators & Representatives…
& Who Do They Truly Represent?
Congress, Both Houses
In a now annual display of partisan politics, our dysfunctional politically controlled National Congress is again grid-locked… which essentially paralyzes the government. This current paralysis clearly indicates that they have suspended our original consensus-based form of Constitutional government… but this time with a most unusual and disturbing twist… one that is being fueled by a vocal former President.
While partisan feuding has become the norm within the last several sessions, the injection of this ‘off-stage’ force indicates a rapidly deteriorating divide and disgust with our current political system. The fact that Donald J. Trump (DJT) has a decided impact on our official Congressional functioning and proceedings is a clear indication that ‘We the People’ have no control over the Congressional membership… that we have an immediate and destructive crisis on our hands.
Rapidly Escalating Dischord
Generations of citizens have come to expect a Constitutionally oriented system of government.
What they currently have is a politically oriented system of government
that only remotely resembles our original form of government.
Our current 2-Party Collaborative Alliance (2-PCA) has finally created an untenable political landscape for our country. Their non-stop manipulation of our original Constitutional processes has finally created an environment that the average citizen does not understand or recognize.
A statesman places himself at the service of the nation… A politician places the nation at his service.
Politicians have replaced Statesmen… their current energy is focused on partisan posturing, separation, control, and bickering… not consensus-building discussions focused on producing ethical guidance and mutually beneficial legislation for their respective states… and —unbelievably— the focal point of all this partisan bickering and control is a non-elected, offstage, politician who is fomenting the situation, not using his considerable influence to quell it.
Our supposed Representatives —both House and Senate— are acting incredibly irresponsibly… the immaturity they display is a clear violation of their oath of office. Their posturing, bickering, and defiance are reminiscent of college fraternity squabbles… certainly not the behavior of grown men and women of such important representative positions… especially in light of the serious global issues that our Country can help resolve… why are we condoning our elected representatives to act in this way?
FYI… the founders’ infinite wisdom created a funding system that requires annual approval with no long-term provisions… so technically – every year – “We the People” get to choose how our money is spent… by choosing who represents our hightest and best value system.
Senators, Specifically
It may surprise you to learn that a little over 100 years ago (1914), a politically manipulated amendment was passed to “control” the Senate’s role in the government as a result of improprieties at the end of the 19th century. That political party-motivated amendment completely changed the purpose and character of the Senate, from a part of a Constitutionally mandated structure to a purely political position, with no direct accountability to the States they purportedly represent or the people within those States.
This change covertly gave the political parties an official foothold to carry out their policies —completely uninhibited. The States became completely helpless… they were ‘constitutionally’ barred from active participation in the bicameral process at a federal level. In case you were wondering… this is the reason States have no influence in balancing the Federal Budget… they are not seated at the table… they are essentially voiceless.
It might also surprise you to learn that the current 17th Amendment version of a Senator is virtually untouchable by the people of those States. As we’ve seen in recent years, favored political operatives move wherever is convenient or necessary (according to party needs) to posture for their party’s goals. (Evidence the political party relocations of Bobby Kennedy, Jr. and Hilary Clinton to New York State to run for Senator)
The Original Constitutional version of Senators
The original Constitutional Senators derived their authority and power directly from the Constitution.
They were directly responsible to —and controlled by— the States they represented. They were chosen by the State legislatures and were subject to recall if they deviated from that state’s wishes.
Article 1, Section 3 of the US Constitution states… ‘The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, (chosen by the Legislature thereof,) for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
The original constitutional version of Senators was essentially an 11th-hour compromise of a stalled Constitutional Convention. The large and small states were deadlocked… neither willing to relinquish their positions for fear of losing control over their destiny… and remained that way for several weeks, to the point where there was serious talk of dissolving the convention.
One of the basic tenets of the Virginia Plan was proportional representation, which favored the larger states and put the smaller states at a decided disadvantage. In desperation, a proposal was made to create two houses in the Federal Congress, an upper house comprised of 2 senators, chosen by the states to represent them, and a lower house, using the proportional state representation as outlined in the Virginia Plan. This ‘Great Compromise’ satisfied the needs of both the large and small states and led to the successful conclusion that became our Constitution.
This form of government is known as a bicameral form of legislature. A bicameral legislature simply refers to a particular body of government that consists of two legislative houses or chambers. The genius of this 11th-hour compromise is that it gave both the states and the citizens within those states active representation over their affairs. Essentially the people were represented by both houses, just in different groups. This was the ultimate form of a Republic or indirect representation of the people.
The current 17th Amendment version of Senators
The current 17th Amendment version of Senators derives its authority from a contested and questionable amendment proposed in a tumultuous period of American history. Essentially the amendment changes them from Federal Senators to National Senators. (This is based on who actually controls them.) Even though the current Senators are elected by citizens, the people have no control over them… they are unilaterally controlled by their respective political parties.
This is one of several places where the political party’s true intent becomes abundantly clear… misleading the people into thinking they have a say in this process; where in fact, they only get to choose from whoever is provided by the parties… and once chosen, have no say or control over them. If a Senator acts inappropriately —which has happened on several recent occasions— the people of that state cannot recall that Senator… they are literally out of reach from the very people whom they purport to represent.
The Senator’s role in Congress is part of an ongoing plan honed over several generations by the 2-PCA to gain a tenured foothold in our governmental process by actually controlling one of the Constitutionally derived bodies outright. Their actions effectively divide and subvert the people that they supposedly represent. Their allegiance is strictly to their affiliated party, which creates faction politics.
These factions have their particular agendas, although they do maintain a favorable visibility (by promising favors and special treatment) so they can garner enough public support (i.e. money and votes) to maintain control of our governmental process. The Senate’s current role is to maintain this overreaching and hugely burdensome —as well as financially irresponsible— form of control over the American people.
According the Article I, Section 7, the Senate is tasked with approving the financial bills that originate in the House of Representatives… although that rule has not been properly adhered to for decades. This latest spectacle should be a glaring wake-up call to the American people of their true loyalties and intent.
New Covert Ruling Class
To Reiterate…
In the current 17th amendment version, Senators represent only the political parties, and
their ONLY allegiance is to the political parties that groom and finance them.Even though each state’s citizens vote for them,
those citizens have no control or jurisdiction over these political operatives.
The 17th amendment essentially created an elite political ruling class faction with seemingly no fiduciary obligations or responsibility to the very citizens that elect them… (although abdicating Fiduciary responsibility still has legal consequences… see Class Action)
Their current role in government is to represent their party’s interest, regardless of the outcome to the States and citizens that they are purportedly there to serve. That cannot be made any clearer than by their actions over the past several decades… and, especially the last few weeks.
Political Parties Are Private Organizations
Think of it this way. I’m sure that most of you are familiar with the Federal Reserve… that it is not a part of our governmental structure… that it is a private organization, with executive branch oversight. Well, the 2-Party Collaborative alliance is similar… it’s a network of national and state private organizations that have —over several generations— deftly inserted themselves into a position of control over our governmental processes.
Political Parties have no constitutional or official position,
authority, or capacity, within our government.
They are parasitic groups whose only intent and purpose is control… by whatever means. Examples that immediately come to mind are… using fear in crises… using legislative intimidation… using the ‘color of law’ for intimidation… using exclusionary tactics to create controlled affiliations. This is the core problem of our current 2-PCA governmental system. The system is not bad… how the 2-PCA has manipulated and distorted it is bad.
The critical thing to understand is that over several generations… these private groups —operating under the guise of a 2-PCA— have convinced the American people that they have an official capacity within our government structure. They have willfully and forcefully excluded any other group or individual participation in our governmental landscape… and have created this combative and wasteful operating environment.
The outright damage to our Constitutional Republic is currently seen in the repercussions of their actions… principally that Americans have been denied free and unfettered access to their cherished constitutional rights… namely —in this particular instance— in choosing their elected officials.
The best —and saddest example— is the pathetic, meager selections presented by the 2-PCA this election cycle. Initially, the Republican side had some good-quality, Constitutionally grounded candidates… but the ‘party’ quickly eliminated them through the gauntlet of trumped-up rules and financial hurdles.
Without onerous private party control, we could benefit from the vibrant electronic media and have a good selection of candidates who have the desire to support and uphold the Constitution.
The Senate’s Current Role in Congress
From a Constitutional standpoint, the Senate’s current role and purpose is muddled… and begs the following questions…
- Who are they accountable to?
- Who do they represent?
- What are these men and women’s actual roles in government?
That depends entirely on which version of the Senate you look at…
- the current 17th amendment version —identified as the United States National Senate… or
- the original constitutional version —identified as the United States Federal Senate…
because, as you can see… these two different versions bear no resemblance whatsoever.
The House of Representatives’ Current Role in Congress
The House of Representatives still functions in its original Constitutional form… elections are still constitutionally correct… the only glaring difference is the overlay of the 2-PCA over the entire mechanism of presenting and choosing representatives and then manipulating their loyalties and actions.
Similarly, the 2-PCA has fractured the House of Representatives’ intent and operation. It seems that every day, the media reports on further combative incidents… some almost resulting in violence. The visceral divide that currently exists, has effectively ground the entire National Congress to a halt… and you can thank the 2-PCA for that… as well as bad actors, including DJT.
Forming alliances with various States that have similar needs… introducing Bills… debating issues to distill important elements through consensus… voting along State ideological principles… that’s all gone, thanks to the 2-PCA infusion of factional fear. Faith, and a desire to unify and promote limited legislation… and, as importantly, present a unified worldview… these are not important to the myopic 2-PCA.
It’s worth mentioning briefly, that the only other election process —the Electoral College, the only true and accurate
Constitutionally mandated presidential election method— has been severely altered and bastardized to the point that it does NOT even remotely resemble the Constitutional version. It saddens me to hear people say that it should be eliminated… when it is the only way to actualize a sane and non-manipulative process of selecting a President.
Generational Divide
The last filter to look at is how this 2-PCA has altered and manipulated the four current generations’ attitudes and participation in our election process.
The oldest generation, the Babybomers, have the most experience and exposure… and are the most affected because they are most susceptible to partisan manipulation of benefits… so they have the most to fear… and consequently are the angriest.
Gen Xer’s are in their prime earning years, and think that they don’t have the time or energy to deal with this… even though this is the most important thing for them to deal with… nonetheless, they are frustrated and also angry.
Millennials and Gen Z are still in their formative stages… they lack effective experience and rely on parental and societal influence… which has them demonstrating anger as well, even though they struggle to express it.
The one clear thing is that anger straddles all four voting-age generations… and if an understanding of how this 2-PCA has caused this needless anger and crisis becomes widely understood… it might be the catalyst necessary to manifest a return to a no-party form of government… as the Founders articulated and demonstrated until 1832.
I hope it’s as clear to you as it is to me, how fragile the remnants of our constitutional structure have become… and we have the 2-PCA to thank for that. As a mere shadow of its original intent… it has devolved into a pugilistic arena where fear, bullying, and coercion are the means of solutions.
Agreements created in an atmosphere of fear and anger will not survive and flourish,
nor do they contribute to the moral fabric or growth of any society.
Another word that saddens me is the virtually unanimous use of the word ‘democracy’. We are not a democracy… in any way, shape, or form. I cringe to think that this constant misidentification of our governmental process is being actualized by the 2-PCA through their ‘majority takes all’ style of government… with no regard for the minority’s needs… not the Founder’s belief or intent.
Available Solutions
Two immediate things come to mind:
- Remove the imposed and unnecessary layer of party identification, control, and manipulation from our Constitutional processes by removing party affiliation from any person seeking an elective position: and
- Return the States to their active role in the Senate by returning control of Senatorial selection to them.
If there is any hope of saving our battered Constitutional Republic, ‘We the People’ must —IMMEDIATELY— regain control of all aspects of our government by removing all vestiges of party identification and control.
Citizens MUST CHOOSE AND ELECT people whose highest priority
is to uphold and defend the Constitution.
Remember, the goal is not just running for office… the goal is to become an active Constitutional Representative for all the people… and to help their constituents create consensus so that even minority voices are heard and represented in their outcomes. Anything less would be yet more staining on our noble heritage.
Simultaneously, serious efforts need to be made to return control of the Senate to the State Legislatures… so that the body of States is rightfully and actively represented in our US Congress once again.
The most straightforward method would be to abolish the 17th amendment and return the States to their rightful place of participation in the upper house of Congress… thus recreating a federal government… and simultaneously return the Congress to its original Constitutional form of the State’s representatives.
By eliminating and removing party affiliation from all aspects of government, we would return to our founder’s original operating system —which functioned until 1832— and once again place the idea and purpose of elected officials as a person who represents all of the people, through a process of deliberation and consensus… which is a far cry from what we’ve devolved down to today.
If this message resonates with you…
and you would like to support or participate in a peaceful return to our brilliantly conceived and structured Constitutional Republic…
I encourage you to follow your spiritually guided intellectual nudge.Our country urgently needs Constitutionally oriented leaders from all 4 generations to become visible and united under the central theme of a Spirit led, consensus driven, Constitutional Republic.
For a more in-depth look at this issue… please look at The Mechanics of a Republic
