Opinion: Republican Party seems to have turned backs on promise to uphold Constitution
When drafting the U.S. Constitution, the Founding Fathers found it necessary to make a number of compromises in order to obtain ratification. Among the many tensions garnishing their attention was the power of the states versus the power of the central government. One of the solutions aimed at diminishing this tension had to do with how congressional representation might be determined. Representation based upon population gave power to the more populous states. To counter this, each state was given two representatives each to a chamber of Congress, which is the Senate and which is frequently referred to as the upper house as its membership is limited and the Senate has powers not afforded to the other chamber. All this means that we have a chamber of Congress that represents the interests of the state and is subject to minority rule. For example, Wyoming, population 584,000, has the same representation in the Senate as California, population 39 million. The filibuster rule, which is not prescribed in the Constitution, gives even more power to the minority.
This is not meant to be a discussion on the structure of the Senate but a discussion on how a minority of the population can control a national conversation. The Civil War in 1860 erupted when a minority of plantation owners in the South dominated the conversation on slavery and a war between the states ensued.
Today we are experiencing a similar dynamic that is manifesting itself in the other house, the House of Representatives. While the Republican Party has a very small majority in the house allowing it to control the agenda of the house, there is a small group of Republicans, along with the former president, controlling that agenda.
It is the opinion of this writer that this small group is placing this nation at serious risk, a risk serious enough to raise a sense of personal panic. So, what is this risk? It appears to find its roots in the reelection of the former president, No. 45, regardless of the cost this effort places on the nation. One of the more recent indicators is the refusal to pass legislation granting aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan unless that legislation addressed the control of immigration along the border of this nation and the nation of Mexico. While it has been documented that the vast majority of those seeking refuge in this country are asylum seekers, it stands to reason that without proper controls, those with less noble aspirations will abuse an unsecured border.
While there is no relation between foreign aid and border security, a bipartisan group of senators worked to give this small group of Republicans what they wanted. Sen. James Langford (R-Oklahoma), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) and Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) drafted a bill addressing the issues at the southern border incorporating many conservative principles and dropping many progressive principles. Langford, one of the authors, is noted for his conservative position on most issues. His colleagues on the other side of the aisle also consider him a man of integrity.
The response from this small group of Republican House members was a simple ‘Dead on arrival.’ Why? Without some other explanation from this group, the only assumption can be for political expediency. This appears to be a group of congressional representative committed to the agenda of a small group of far right radicals and the political agenda of a former president who wishes to be president again. Let us be mindful that this is a former president with over 90 indictments awaiting resolution, has lost an overwhelming number of court cases since he left office, and who has aligned himself with Putin and other autocratic leaders whose intent is to ingratiate themselves with power while denying that power to the people.
This group of congresspersons have turned their back on their promise to uphold the Constitution and to work for the welfare of this nation. They are doing the exact opposite in the pursuit of political gain and power. This is not living up to service to this nation and this certainly is not honoring the risks and efforts of our founding fathers.
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Lee Sease lives in Burnsville. He is a former Superintendent of Schools in Middlebury, Vermont.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Republican Party is placing this nation at serious risk
