Opinion: Massie one of the most unaccomplished members of Congress

It’s challenging to assemble a list of Thomas Massie’s accomplishments. Even a Google search yields...well...none.

It’s more likely you’ll conclude that, after 10 years in Congress, he is one of the least effective, least productive members. Each session, he has proposed fewer than a dozen bills, none making it out of committee for a vote. He gets lots of press, however − for voting "no" on most legislation.

So, why is he so unaccomplished? Here’s what the evidence suggests:He’s out of touch with his constituents.

Massie repeatedly proposes bills to legalize raw milk, reduce inspections on some meat processing, and eliminate the Department of Education. He also renews bills to repeal the ban of guns on or near school grounds and lower the age eligibility to purchase a hand gun to 18.

There have been the occasional good ideas, like bills supporting airport infrastructure and opposing taxation of seniors’ Social Security. But he has said no to disaster relief and infrastructure bills that would give billions to Kentucky for roads, bridges, broadband, and remediation of coal-producing areas. Moreover, he has not addressed the opioid crisis in Kentucky, even though Kentucky ranked third in drug-overdose deaths in 2020.

He shows questionable judgment.

It’s not just the inane public statements, like that the right to bear arms is a God-given right (which is a head scratcher), or that John Kerry’s college education in political science isn’t really science (i.e., the systematic pursuit of knowledge). It’s also his gross insensitivity, like comparing COVID vaccine passports to imprisonment of Jews in concentration camps, or his online Christmas card showing his family sporting military-style weaponry − just days after a school shooting.

In addition are the "no" votes for noncontroversial bills, such as educational initiatives around anti-Semitism and Japanese Internment in the U.S., designating lynching a hate crime, support for Ukraine, and sanctioning China for human-rights violations against its Uighur Muslims − all proceeded by Massie’s small-minded rationales. Had he studied political science, he’d understand the complex geopolitical forces at play, and that our security, prosperity, and peace can’t be achieved by tacit consent to government-sanctioned atrocities.

He is a study in contradictions.

He aligns himself with the Libertarian Ron Paul and Mises Institutes, often doggedly adhering to their principles − like that individual rights trump government intervention − except when he doesn’t. He votes against women making their own reproductive choices as well as nondiscrimination and equal rights for women, seniors, and the LGBTQ community. He repeatedly complains that proposed legislation doesn’t give Kentuckians what they need, like roads and bridges, but he consistently votes no on the bills that do. He boasts being the greenest member of Congress, but he votes no on sustainable solutions and wants to eliminate the EPA.

So, it’s time for someone new, who will spend less time on Twitter and more time doing the work of a congressperson, compromising and saying yes, accomplishing something for Kentuckians. You can vote your party − or your conscience.Kimberly Kennedy is a writer and editor who lives in Villa Hills, Ky.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Opinion: Massie one of the most unaccomplished members of Congress