Hi. Welcome to my blog! My name is Jamie and I am an intern here on “The Hill”. It is an honor to be chosen to bring to the web community at large the REAL STORY about our United States Congress.
First off, I’d like to apologize for the strongly worded title of this blog post. I’m just so frustrated. And let me tell you why. Everyday, I see on the television, read in the newspapers, hear on the radio, and absorb from the internet how terrible our Congress is. And just this morning, as I was slugging to work here at the Capitol Building, this… gentleman next to me in the backseat was saying that “…this Do-Nothing Congress is the worst in American history.” What!? He must be a few sheep short of a flock.He also bleated something about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie getting engaged, so I know he must be getting his information about the world from those supermarket tabloids.
America, there are a number of things wrong with that statement. First of all: “Do-Nothing”? Try Do-Most. So far, this Congress has introduced over 8000 bills and resolutions! That’s during 175 days of work per year. Like most people with a job, this… name-caller has probably spent 500 days at work since our 112th Congress first reported to work a year-and-half-ago. I seriously doubt he’s been anywhere close to that productive.
(By the way, I might as well mention here that this “legislator-hater” got out of the car at the corner of Pennsylvania Ave and 13th NW in front of a Smoothie King. So I’m assuming that’s where he works, getting tweaked on protein and wheat grass all day.)
I’m taking all my frustrations out on this guy, but really, he’s just repeating what he hears other misinformed Americans saying. In fact, calling our hard-working lawmakers a “Do-Nothing Congress” has been resurfacing since President Truman invented the smart-alecky nickname back in the late 1940’s. Back then Congress opposed much of his “Fair Deal” plan, among it Truman’s veto of the “Taft-Hartly Act”, without which I must point out, the future Mr. and Mrs. Jolie-Pitt might not have become members of SAG. You have your “Do-Nothing [80th] Congress” to thank for the film “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”. (I haven’t seen it but I’ve heard it’s excellent.)
Now that you understand that “Do-Nothing Congress” is an impetuous president’s way of sticking his tongue out at Congress when he doesn’t get his way, let me move on to the rest of my seatmate’s comment “…the worst in American history.” The worst in American History? Pardon my French but – Jiminy-Crickets!! Congress pre-dates “American History” you guys! The First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in 1774, four years before the colonies declared independence. So there.
(So little emphasis is given to government studies in schools these days that I’ll almost give him a pass on that one.)
In case you also opted to take P.E. or Home Economics or Math in high school instead of Government Studies, let me make this clear: our current Congress is made up the most talented politicians ever to grace the chambers, lobbies, rooms, anterooms, annexes, foyers, halls, hallways, vestibules, and rotundas of this hallowed institution. And since this is a blog post and not a 57-volume set of leather bound books, I won’t be able to adequately explain it all to you at this time. But I promise I will over the following months!
I’ll close this blog post today with this: Remember the 2011 Oscar-nominated film “Moneyball” starring that “Do-Nothing Congress” beneficiary Brad Pitt? (I haven’t seen it but I heard it was excellent.) This Congress is just like that baseball team in that film, undervalued and dismissed by the other branches of government, political pundits, and the American public who have been fed lies by the media every hour of every day. But just wait, these humble servants who want nothing more than to serve the citizens of this great nation will soon be recognized for their talent and effort and will be celebrated as heroes. Congress’s approval rating of less than 10% means they are perfectly poised for a comeback. Will you be a bandwagon-jumper-on-er when that rating reaches 100%? Or will you recognize RIGHT NOW how awesome they already are? I look forward to being your Jonah Hill (he’s the other guy in that movie, I think).
– Jamie
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Subscribe to my blog! Upcoming topics include:
“Why the Executive and Judicial Branches Looooooove to Oppress the Legislative Branch. It Ain’t Fair!”
“Enough About Salaries and Pensions! Our Congressmen and Senators Aren’t Earning a Dime After Campaign Expenses.”
“Overheard in the Rotunda: The President Wants to Stop Our Genetically Enhanced, Super-Intelligent Monkeys from Working with Our Alien Friends at Roswell on Solving the Budget Crisis.”