What's wrong with Congress?

A profound sense of frustration permeates the American public's view of Congress, with a staggering 90% of citizens expressing dissatisfaction. This sentiment echoes historical critiques, such as those by social commentator Will Rogers, who famously quipped that Congress's jokes became laws and its laws became jokes.

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Every time they make a joke, it's a law, and every time they make a law, it's a joke.

Carl Hulse, chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times, describes the current state of Congress as "totally" broken. He has spent his career observing what he calls "the decline of Congress," attributing its ineffectiveness to a severe lack of cooperation between political parties. This partisan gridlock prevents meaningful action, despite Hulse's belief that many lawmakers genuinely desire to do the right thing.

Hulse further criticizes the Republican party's actions in the current Congress, particularly their decision to cede significant power to the administration on issues like tariffs and war powers, which are constitutionally enumerated. He warns that such power, once relinquished, is rarely regained, regardless of which party holds the presidency.

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It's a great American pastime to hate Congress. But I do think there's a lot of frustration with Congress.

Compounding these issues, the 119th Congress has been marked by legislative gridlock, passing fewer bills than many predecessors. While some significant legislation, like a $4.5 trillion tax cut and a bipartisan housing bill, has been enacted, critics on both sides of the aisle demand more action on federal spending. Furthermore, President Trump has frequently bypassed Congress on matters of trade and foreign policy, even pressuring lawmakers on issues like voting rules.

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Oh yes, totally. I unfortunately have said to people, 'I've spent my career covering the decline of Congress.' And yeah, they need to get it together. But there's just very, very little cooperation between the parties, and you can't make things happen that way.

The Senate faces additional uncertainty due to the extended hospitalization of former majority leader Mitch McConnell and the recent death of Senator Lindsey Graham. These disruptions, according to Hulse, highlight Congress's struggle with an aging leadership and an increasingly polarized political climate.

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Article I is a real thing. I think what's happened with the Republicans in this Congress, and ceding power to the administration, has been a real mistake on a lot of fronts – tariffs, war powers, the things that are actually enumerated in the Constitution. They're giving away the store. And once you give away some power, you never get it back.