The United States Congress hasn’t always been an embarrassment, but in recent years many Americans would be hard-pressed to think of something actually good the governmental body has done.
Once, U.S. citizens felt a genuine respect for members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the two chambers that make up our nation’s Congress. These days, in-fighting, petty beefs, disrespect on the House floor, and complete ignorance of our nation’s laws have stripped that respect away, and left little but disappointment and disgust in its place.
This dispirited feeling was only compounded in October of 2023, when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — not a popular man by any means — was replaced by a far less popular, and far less competent, alternative. The months since have seen the House of Representatives accomplish almost nothing, as in-fighting and disagreements become the body’s new calling card.
Who replaced Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House?
In October of 2023, Kevin McCarthy — who served as Speaker of the House from January to October of 2023 — became the first Speaker of the House to ever be successfully removed from his position. He was replaced, following several contentious votes, by Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson.
Johnson hasn’t had an entirely ineffective run in Congress so far, but few of his actions as a Representative or Speaker have been popular. He was among 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election, attempting to subvert the will of the people, and he’s supported bills that would see a nationwide ban on abortions instituted. He’s also sought to criminalize homosexuality, he sees himself as ordained by God, and he’s fought against the separation of church and state every moment of his political career.
He’s also now leading the single most unproductive House of Representatives this nation has ever seen. Due to the unceasing discord between members, the promotion of wild legislature intended to create conversations, rather than laws, and the genuine lack of qualifications of many of its members, we’ve seen little of actual worth come out of the 118th Congress. That’s by no means a Johnson-exclusive issue, but its hard to ignore the fact that, with a more capable Speaker in charge, the American people might have a fraction more faith in the vital governmental body.