The failure of congress is damaging the nation. In times of difficulty it has abrogated its duty and given the president extreme power with a declaration of a National Emergency and failed to fulfill its roll in running the country. In 1976, after the crisis caused by Nixon, it modified the National Emergencies Act to limit those powers, requiring the expiration of a declared national emergency after one year and calling for the House and Senate to consider ending it every six months. Congress has failed to do what their law requires. They also failed in that law to define what an emergency is, allowing a president to acquire extreme powers just on his whim or judgement, and allowing him to renew such "emergencies" for years. The Founding Fathers, fearful of concentrated unrestrained power, would be appalled. The damage that can be done is terrifying.

This is compounded by extreme dereliction of duty in other areas. Ethics are flaunted with blatant violations of conflict of interest and bald faced opposition to democracy. "Advise and concent" has been met with more rug like behavior. Mitch McConnell fails his job by refusing to allow a vote on any bill he, in spite of the clear signal this is not intended by the Constitution due to the Veto Override provision. Any bill should get a vote. When a party seeks to impose its will when elected by far fewer voters than the opposition, they are opposing the will of the people. When they oppose enforcement of ethics they oppose the will of the people. When they fight against citizens fair and equal representation, be it by gerrymandering or suppression of the voters, they oppose democracy and the Constitution.

Congressional Failure hurts all citizens. It it time that all citizens vote and demand representation with integrity, and demand Congress do its job, a co-equal branch of out government, providing a check on executive powers, answerable to the people and judicial branch, not to lobbyists and the rich.