Representative (n) — …

David Baez Esq.
Jul 21, 2017 · 5 min read

Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. (https://www.house.gov/content/learn/)

During the Constitutional Convention, James Madison described the Senate as “a necessary fence” which would protect “the people against their rulers” and from “the transient impressions into which they themselves might be led.” (https://www.senate.gov/history/origins.htm)

So let me get this right, Representatives are serving the people of a specific congressional district. The People, from and of a SPECIFIC congressional district.

And Senators are a necessary fence which will protect the people against their rulers and from the transient impressions into which they themselves might be led.

Pardon my frustrations BUT WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE?

How have we reached a point in American politics where representatives have stopped (pause for effect) representing. There is no way the people of Miami, FL support the same exact immigration policies and reform as the people from Bessemer, Alabama (Gary Palmer (R); Yes, he’s the dude depicted here petting a border wall).

Yet, if an immigration reform bill, authored by a republican, hits the floor tomorrow, a republican representative will be seen as a hero for stepping out of line and not voting for it. Why? Shouldn’t each representative carefully comb through legislation (or as is more than likely the case, receive a thorough memo from your team) and weigh it against your districts voice before placing a vote? Shouldn’t a representative side with his people instead of his party? Shouldn’t a representative listen to HIS constituents instead of impressionistic lobbyist and comrades?

Yeah…..but.

As you know, the recent healthcare reform (or deprivation) efforts took an unsuspected golf cart to the back, but it’s the rhetoric following those failed efforts that are more telling of where we are and where we have been, in what’s always been the game of politics.

The Senate Conservatives Fund, a political action committee, announced Tuesday it would recruit and fund primary challenges against GOP senators who move[d] to block [the] vote.

Specifically Ken Cuccinnelli said:

We will seek to identify, recruit, and find conservative challengers against Republican senators who vote against repeal.

And later when he was pressed on it in an interview with NPR…actually I’ll just leave the whole thing here:

INSKEEP: Mr. Cuccinelli, I just want to ask about the practicalities of this. We were just the other day in a rural county that voted 77 percent for Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. And there’s a big community hospital that 80 percent of the patients — 80 percent in this conservative area — depend on Medicare or Medicaid. And it’s a big deal to that rural hospital and a Trump-voting area, a very conservative area, a big deal what happens with Medicaid. Is it possible that some lawmakers, whatever their rhetoric has been, are actually trying to protect their constituents from devastating cuts by being reluctant to sign on to what they see as a really bad replacement or no replacement?

CUCCINELLI: Well, of course that’s what you’re going to hear. But that isn’t what you heard from them two years ago, five years ago, seven years ago. And there is, again, a question of simple honesty and integrity and doing what you said. Part of the whole swamp mentality is exactly the kind of situation we’re dealing with. It is this flip-flop that seems to indicate that they never intended what they said for seven years.

Cuccinelli is essentially saying, forget (yes I chose to go with the lighter f word) the new data, forget your constituents, forget the fact that you represent a district that will be devastated by the effects of your vote, STAY IN LINE.

Dean Heller (R. Nev.) recently suffered attack ads after he voiced his opposition to the repeal bill. It was only after McConnell complained to Reince Priebus that it was an “incredibly stupid” thing to do, that the abuse stopped…coincidence that Priebus knew how to make it stop?…

So why can’t Congresswomen and men represent? Why do they seem so strong one minute and spineless the next (<- Yeah click that)?

There are so many factors at play:

  • Dependency – too many politicians have chosen to make this a career and are more dependent on securing their successive elections than they are on administering change or just truly representing their people. Every move, every vote, every material action (NOT those little ra-ra speeches before the camera or those half-hearted committee debates) is predicated on building alliances and impressing those who may support you through your next «career move.»
  • The game – I’m not naive enough to not understand that all of these ideal definitions of a true representative can only live in a utopian world where human emotions and behavioral currency doesn’t exist but to what extent? Everything has become tit for tat. «I will vote for your bill (won’t even read it) if you support my bill.» The game.
  • Money – speaking of impressionistic, we the people need to take accountability. We the people allow dollars to control votes. We the people are too lazy to really look into who truly deserves our vote. Representatives are in bed with the funds and pacts and lobbyist partially because they know money will control their next election, NOT their voting record.

I don’t pretend to have the solutions. Frankly, I’m not sure I can fathom a way to climb out of this seismic sink hole. I simply put this out there to start the discussion. Criticize, comment, challenge, and propose; for that is the foundation of progress and that is what each of our representatives should be doing for every day that our vote has given them.

“It is a sound and important principle that the representative ought to be acquainted with the interests and circumstances of his constituents.” — Federalist Papers, №56, February 19, 1788, James Madison.

Quattuor

Just 4 gents in the middle of our life trying to figure out what the hell is going on here. Interested in many things, experts in none.

)

Thanks to Evan Romero

David Baez Esq.

Written by

Chicago Lawyer, Miami raised, FSU+Notre Dame trained, I've been here and done all that but I'm tired of all us pretending we know what the hell’s going on…

Quattuor

Quattuor

Just 4 gents in the middle of our life trying to figure out what the hell is going on here. Interested in many things, experts in none.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade