How to Fix Congress? Limit the Powers of the Leaders
Excerpt from “Why Knot?” Buy the book at Amazon
Contrary to the intent of the authors of the Constitution, power has been shifting from our elected representatives to individuals in leadership positions. By Congressional rules and practices (not the Constitution), both the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate now wield extraordinary power. In particular, they decide which bills are debated and which are voted on. In the case of the Senate, the Majority Leader alone can prevent any nomination to the courts or the cabinet from ever coming to a vote. In the case of the House, the Speaker can prevent any appropriation bill from ever coming to a vote.
In the past, the two parties sometimes worked together, civilly, to arrive at compromises satisfactory to both. But in the current partisan atmosphere, the party leadership stands in the way of individual members of the House and Senate exercising their rights and responsibilities by voting on legislation and nominations based on their knowledge and convictions as well as the interests of their constituents.
Several inequities need to be dealt with promptly:
1) When a bill is passed by one house of Congress, it should be debated and voted upon, promptly, in the other house.
2) When a bill is entered in either house with the endorsement of at least a third of the membership of that house, said bill should be debated and voted on promptly.
3) When the President makes a nomination which requires confirmation by the Senate, that nominee should go through hearings and be voted upon promptly.
4) When the President introduces legislation, both houses of Congress should debate and vote upon it.
The Speaker and the Majority Leader should not be able to block such votes and related debate.
Limiting the power of the Speaker and the Majority Leader would restore power to individual members of the House and Senate, giving them the opportunity to vote and to be heard, rather than being reduced to the role of mere tokens in partisan battles. And increasing the power of individual members would enable the houses of Congress to fulfill their constitutionally mandated role of overseeing and checking the actions of the Executive.
Given the present power structure, it would be impossible for Congress itself to make such changes. It would never come to a vote. But as this problem arises from abuse and perversion of the Constitution, the courts should be able to remedy it. A court challenge should focus on the rights and responsibilities of individual members of Congress, restoring to them the ability to stand up and be counted. The current rules and practices disenfranchise them. This in turn disenfranchises the voters who support them.
