There is a saying these days, “If pro is the opposite of con, then what is the opposite of Congress? Progress!” There are galaxies of truth in that. For our Congress, since the time when our economy fell in 2008, has done barely anything to fix our frail, capricious economy. Jobs have barely come back to the public, gas prices are soaring, and poverty and starvation are imminent around America, do not deny it. Instead, there are debates on Libya and criticism about Syria. Our foreign policy has become so widespread that whatever could happen halfway across the big world and vast ocean, America would be the first to be there, covering the news, acting like a king, denouncing who Obama thinks is tyrannical, and worrying about what to do next. Congress and the Government should be worrying about their own economy, worrying about their own people, worrying about the state of our nation, which I must say is in great danger.



The reason Congress doesn’t get anything done is because of the political parties. The Republicans and the Democrats argue nonstop, on everything, and neither would like to sacrifice for the nation’s benefit. They argue for months, and finally the topic that they raised has risen to calamitous extremity. This goes on and on, and the two parties can never agree on anything, thus nothing gets done. I am not saying the parties have to agree on everything. But in these case of events, when America is on the edge of economical destruction and moral death, Congress needs to act, and if they need to act they need to agree. The parties must give up party beliefs, in order to preserve America. The parties must compromise and work even harder daily, in order the preserve America. The parties cannot debate and argue daily, as the general people fall into dismay and disarray, as the spirit of America that has lasted for almost three hundred years, as other nations watch in concern as the greatest nation falls slowly to its death. They cannot debate and argue daily when there are people starving, when one out of four children goes to sleep not knowing where their next meal is coming from, when even the fine-off middle class is dubious about their finances. At the end of the day, another family goes to sleep hungry, another father goes to sleep worrying about his job, another mother goes to sleep worrying about how they can afford the next meal while paying taxes (in which the government wastes), another child goes to sleep worrying about his family’s condition. The parties cannot keep going with their nonsense and worthlessness; they need to give up to gain. They need to act, and acting occurs from agreement and compromise, and that is what Congress needs to do.


What do our statesmen do when not in session? Some involve themselves in serious committee work. Others involve themselves in scandals. New York Representative Weiner involved himself in a serious scandal recently, which led to his resignation. Apparently, he engaged in “several inappropriate” online relationships with six women over three years. “I take full responsibility for my actions,” Weiner said. “The picture was of me, and I sent it.” Next, take Chris Lee of New York (again) who attempted a relationship with a woman on Craigslist in February 2011. Take Mark Souder, who also had an affair with his own aide in May 2010. How about John Ensign, who resigned before the Senate could determine his affair with Cynthia Hampton? What about Eric Massa (also from New York) who resigned because of “health problems”, but really because he had sexually harassed male staff members? The list goes on and on. Our delicate economy is not going to change overnight, magically, like a sickness that can heal. It is not going to change overnight, wondrously, like a cut that can mend. It is not going to change overnight, miraculously, after years of downfalls in our troubled economy. We need to work, and we need to work now, to save not only America and its place in history, but also the three hundred and twelve million people that live in this once-glorious nation. Congress cannot afford to wait and corrupt itself with sexual and financial delights while the middle class and those in poverty are sinking even deeper into the abyss by fearful taxes and soaring gas prices. Although these scandals listed above to not represent all of those in 2011, they occurred when our economy dropped into desperation and hopelessness. Now, three years later, our economy has made little gain.


Congress used to be the pride of our nation, the branch of government in which the Founding Fathers debated for weeks, the branch of government that best showed America’s democracy and republicanism, the branch of government that made many good decisions for our country, as well as bad ones that our country learned from. Now, it is the shame of our nation, where 87% polled show disapproval of Congress, the branch of government that shows amount of corruption in our nation. But it can change. Congress needs to act now on our economy, not on Libya and Syria halfway across the world, but on creating jobs for the people, finding other ways to fuel our cars instead of expensive gas. The parties need to stop bickering like little children over toys, and begin compromising as well as sacrificing. America needs to rise, and this all starts with Congress.