Why have a Congress?

6/2/22

Today we see another $5,800,000,000 of taxpayer money going to people welching on their debt. I’m trying to find out just who authorized these payments.  I have yet to find an appropriation by Congress that specifically authorizes this expenditure of federal money.

We are at “war” with Russia. Several politicians including the President have stated that. We have spent $56,000,000,000 on the “war” in Ukraine so far and while the money/materiel were part of actual laws written, passed by Congress and signed by the President, there has been no debate nor the Constitutionally required declaration of war by Congress.

Obama was arrogant enough to say when he was thwarted by the inconvenient Constitution, to state, I have a pen referring to “executive orders” that sidestepped actual legislation. He is not alone as increasingly; our federal government is run by an Executive branch that is consolidating its power in the Congressional action void.

The founders knew that having three branches kept any one from being too powerful. That was premised on each of the branches exerting themselves in the face of one or the other trying to exceed their mandate. Our recent Congresses are only too happy to have the executive branch take the lead and heat should the action flop or gladly crowing about their support should the action prove “popular”.

So, I contact my Senators and Congressman regularly to learn what they have done on this or that. I get form letters if I even get a response. I’m blessed to have a liar about his military service and a very ambitious, single issue, never-worked-outside-of-politics for my two Senators. My 74-year-old Congressman has been in Congress for 23 years. Do any of them take accountability for the errors that occurred during their time in Congress? Not a word on the debt that they piled on and now, acquiesce to from executive orders. Not a word on how the country was put through a 2-year railroading of a sitting President. Not a word on why stuff like energy production is halted by a pen on day one of this administration etc.

Given the cost of this institution and the lack of productivity, one needs to ask, why have a Congress?