see discussion overview

Related

What's wrong with the US Congress?

Categorised in:


Big money and lobbyists have too much power

Cutlass says: Further, the big money and access of lobbyists has come to mean thatthose lobbyists are the only people who really have the ears of membersof Congress, and everything Congress does is filtered through thedesires of special interests instead of the needs of the people of thecountry.

Today's career Congresspeople seem to lack expertise in the issues of the laws that they are passing

Cutlass says: They have staffs to help them withthat, but it isn't apparent that it's helping much

Legislation does not take account of the wildly different needs of different states and districts

Cutlass says: Everypiece of legislation has to benefit every state and every Congressionaldistrict, even when the need that the legislation is meant to addressdoes not support that. As an example, the homeland security fundsfollowing 9/11 were not targeted to those places where the risk ofterrorist attacks were highest. They were spread to every CD.Regardless of risk or population.

Congresspeople are too focused on raising money for election campaigns

Cutlass says: Congressional elections have become so expensive, that members ofCongress are spending far too much time raising money rather thanlearning the issues and making the relationships with other members ofCongress that lead to a better legislative process