Congress' behavior may not always be respectable, but most are there for the right reasons.
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The acrimonious debate about raising the nations' debt ceiling has cast a negative light on the U.S. Congress as a representative democracy badly in need of a return to the spirit of compromise and cooperation. With a sagging economy, a country weary from 10 years of war, and too many Americans still out of work, it's no wonder that the American people are unhappy.
According to former Congressman, Dennis Hertel (D-MI), who is also the president of the U.S. Former Members of Congress Association (FMC), Congress needs to return to an era of compromise and cooperation. "For me, and more than 600 former Members of Congress who are part of our non-profit organization, we strongly urge the House and the Senate to put their political wrangling aside and do the right thing for our country and the American people," said Hertel. "At the same time, while the American people are rightfully frustrated with the political process and Congress in general, it's important to also recognize that most of us who choose to serve are there because we deeply care, and strive to make a difference."
A recent USA Today/Gallup poll revealed yet another troubling statistic for those who chose to serve the country as members of Congress. Of the Americans who were surveyed, most believe that both Republicans and Democrats in Congress are putting their own political needs ahead of the nation's interests in debt ceiling negotiations-65 percent for Democrats, and 72 percent for Republicans, and 49 percent say the same of the president. Forty nine percent also believe that Congress and the President are doing a worse job in solving the nation's problems than in the past. That is not only among the most troubling of perceptions, but it also points to the need for the American people to take a deep breath and understand who their representatives really are, and what motivates them daily to tackle one of the most challenging jobs in the nation.
"When I was a member of Congress, we worked tirelessly to pass legislation that would improve the lives of all Americans," HerteI added. "Of course we had many political differences, but rather than vilify those who disagreed with us, we instead respected those differences, and avoided the personal attacks that we are seeing today."
Hertel and the 600 former Members of Congress who are part of the non-profit organization, are what Hertel suggests are, "Committed legislators who chose to serve even after they left political office for one reason and one reason only-they want to serve our nation and promote service here and around the world! They don't do it for the glory. They certainly don't do it for the money. They do it because they are simply wired that way," he added.
Hertel believes that while the American people may not think Congress is acting in a responsible way regarding the debt ceiling issue, he urges them to not throw the baby out with the bath water. "Like all of my fellow Representatives, we got into this business to serve. We labored around the clock, and contrary to public opinion, we never had personal drivers or limousines, and we didn't travel to luxury resorts on business. That passion for public service is in our DNA," Hertel said.
Hertel said that he and FMC members agree that the negative, partisan bickering in Washington has to abate. Last October, FMC along with the group, Former Members of Congress for Common Ground, issued a letter to Congress asking them to return to the days when heated partisan debates didn't rely on personal attacks to solve legislative challenges.
"Our hope is to return to a time when statesmanship guided Congress' mission," said Hertel. "When at the end of the day, a political adversary was still a friend, and compromise and debate were simply part of the way business is done in Washington."
Hertel conceded that Congress has a lot of work to do to restore its reputation with the American people. "Regardless of our recent collective bad behavior, late-night comedians' barbs, 24/7 cable news punditry vilifying us daily, and the American people at the end of their ropes, I am asking for a moment of reflection," he said. "While we have a long way to go to restore the American people's trust, I hope they know that we are dedicated public servants who got into this business for all the right reasons. We care and we want to make a difference."
Former Member of Congress Jack Buechner, a Republican from Missouri who serves on FMC's Executive Committee, agrees: "There is no doubt that Members of Congress, whether current or former, have answered the call to public service so that they can make our nation stronger and better. This should be what unites them, not what divides them! I have every faith in the system and I believe that at the end of the day we will see Democrats and Republicans of all stripes come together to find a way out of the current crisis. But I am concerned with the highly belligerent and acrimonious tone this debate and many other debates preceding it have taken. We are very close to the point where Members are so convinced of their own positions, they have completely lost the ability to find even an inch of common ground. That is worrisome to me, but more importantly it is worrisome to our allies, investors in America, and most of our citizens. Perhaps, most destructively, it denigrates Democracy as a role model for a world in transition."
SOURCE Former Members of Congress
