Veteran Politicians Being Driven Out by Gridlock: Good, It’s About Time! Now Maybe Their Replacements Will Be Willing to Negotiate More Than Their Incompetent Predecessors

A lot of career or long-term politicians have decided to retire at the end of the term; the gridlock that is the hallmark of several sessions of Congress is said to be the reason for the frustration and decisions of some to retire.

GOOD!

If they’re not part of the solution, then they’re part of the problem. 

I don’t care if my state loses the chairperson’s position on this committee, or that committee.  It’s worth losing those politicians who hold those positions, if we get someone in there who is at least willing to talk to others.  Our current Congress doesn’t do enough talking; they refuse to meet with their political opponents to arrive at a deal.

As things stand, the only way that Congress can get anything done is if one party controls both houses of Congress.   It shouldn’t be that way.  

With recent debates on the budget and the debt ceiling, we’ve seen politicians make statements to the media about their positions on the debate, and then no meetings for weeks and months on end, until a week or two before the money is set to run out for the federal government to operate.  That doesn’t include Congressional paychecks, mind you.  Then there’s a flurry of meetings, like someone flipped the switch to the “Congress ON” setting.   They should have been meeting weeks and months prior, and hammering out a deal. 

Perhaps the next Congress should pass a law stating that their paychecks should be affected by the presence or absence of a budget agreement.   No budget=no pay.  After all, they force other federal employees to not get paid if there’s a shutdown.   Why shouldn’t Congress play by the same rules?

That’ll get them motivated to reach a budget deal much quicker, instead of shutting the government down.

So, to the Representatives and Senators who are retiring because they’re “frustrated,” bye bye.