As
the federal government’s impasse has neared the end of its first full week,
Rodney Frelinghuysen has engaged in the “blame game” and demonstrated little
leadership. In the process, he has taken advantage of the situation for the
sake of political posturing; one good example of this is a statement in which
he pointed to his long tenure in the house in a seeming effort to convey to the
public that he is a serious leader with an earnest capacity to compromise with
Democrats and affect change.
In
an interview with The Citizen, a
local newspaper in his district, Frelinghuysen expressed concern that the
behavior of the GOP’s Tea Party fringe is creating negative public perception
of the entire Republican Party. He said, “[t]here is a whole new group, mostly
on our side, who don’t remember as I do how public perception in Congress was
better in 1995.” (The Citizen) It would be one thing if such a statement
reflected the maturity and wisdom one would hope to see from a political lifer.
But troublingly, another statement in this same interview seems to suggest that
Mr. Frelinghuysen has little understanding of some of the facts of American
politics, and, at best, no creative ideas as to how to resolve the current
crisis. He said, “When
you take over one-sixth of the American economy (health care costs) and hand it
to the federal government, that’s major stuff…I’m not against healthcare reform
but there have been so many problems.”
At
present, Obamacare is a legislative fact that has no chance of being revoked; the
President and Senate understand it as a law that was passed through
appropriate, constitutional means. The fact that the Democrats control the
Senate and the Presidency leaves the GOP no chance of having it defunded in a
budget for the 2014 fiscal year. Frelinghuysen’s rhetoric also implies
traditional Republican ideology, and the “problems” he refers to must be
ideological and not practical. We live in a political reality shaped by the
Democrats, regardless of whether the Republican Party is willing to accept it.
The culture of “big government” and federal spending measures such as the
Affordable Care Act are not simply going to be overturned through a prolonged
battle over health care reform. In all likelihood, the electoral process is the
only means to a reform that would please proponents of small government.
Aside
from technical problems with the program’s website, I’m not sure what problems
Mr. Frelinghuysen could have been referring to when he said that the current
health care reform legislation has run into “so many problems.” The program
hasn’t been given any time to operate so as to determine what the practical
problems with it are. This could really only refer to a disagreement with the
language of the Obamacare legislation, but every piece of legislation has
potential loopholes in implementation. It seems that he is trying to impress
the public with a conception of the ACA as problematic, impractical and
unfeasible.
All
in all, it does not seem the Representative Frelinghuysen has actually distinguished
himself on account of his experience and long tenure. Rather, he has blended in
quite nicely with the rest the congressional cohort. He has managed to paint
himself as a Representative of dignity and high esteem. He has asked Congress
to suspend his pay during the shutdown, an incredibly altruistic move
considering the fact that his assets total over $65 million (opensecrets.org)
and the fact that there are 4,800 furloughed workers in his district.
(newjerseyhills.com) He also announced in his weekly e-news letter that he was
appointed to a bipartisan conference committee that is working towards a
compromise. Thus far, this committee has accomplished nothing.
Frelinghuysen
has accused the Democrats of wielding their power unfairly, blaming the situation
on a “lack of checks and balances”. (morristowngreen.com) He also took a gibe
at President Obama, saying “The President needs to do less campaign posturing and
start doing more talking to the House and Senate himself…there’s a lot of
posturing down here. The country is not well served by this shutdown.”
(morristowngreen.com) While Mr. Frelinghuysen is evidently onto something by
saying that “the country is not well served by this shutdown”. However, one
must wonder if he is a leader who can help bring Congress out of the ditch it
sits in at the present moment, as he seems to have a perceptual problem of some
kind. The President will not be running for re-election any time soon, and is
actually not allowed to run for the Presidency again as a matter of law. President
Obama has little to gain from “campaign posturing”, and it seems that Mr.
Frelinghuysen has little to offer the federal government by way of veteran wisdom,
creativity, or willingness to compromise.
Works Consulted:
6)
http://frelinghuysen.congressnewsletter.net/mail/util.cfm?gpiv=2100108803.179489.142&gen=1
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