When the "Two Congresses" are discussed we are referring to Congress as both a lawmaking institution and as a collection of 435 individual members, presumably, seeking reelection. At the same time the "Two Congresses" are both complimentary and conflicting. The "Two Congresses" are complimentary in that the desire for reelection drives individual members to act in their constituency's best interests, act in accordance with their constituency's desires, and achieve legislative accomplishments compatible with both previous conditions. The complimentary nature of the "Two Congresses" is mostly found when looking at the actions of individual members, and the desires of the member's constituency, isolated from the acts greater impact on Congress. The "Two Congresses" are in conflict with, and are divergent from, one another in that the goals of individual members, or at least the interests of their constituency which they are acting on, can be in conflict with one another. The conflicting nature of the "Two Congresses" is seen when looking at the acts of individual members, and the desires of the member's constituency, in relation to their acts impact within Congress. In looking at the behavior and acts of Senator Menendez in particular, and Congress generally, both these points may be seen.
The "Two Congresses" can be seen as complimenting each other when the desires and interests of a constituency are acted on/for by their representative. The easiest way to see such a relation is when acts are taken directly in the name of, or specifically benefit, the representatives constituency. Senator Menendez has worked to pass a number of legislations which would benefit New Jersey. Menendez has sought passage of legislation which would delay flood insurance hikes with the Flood Insurance Affordability Act (Hill, Conflict Abroad...). When a rash of murders were committed in Newark, New Jersey Menendez worked to secure federal funding for the hiring of additional police officers (Hill, Responding to Developments...). Another way to see the relation is when the representative acts on behalf of the beliefs of his constituency. Senator Menendez represents the State of New Jersey, a solidly Democratic state, and has been elected with sixty percent of the vote (Politico). As such it can be assumed that when Senator Menendez acts he acts with the intent of fulfilling his obligations to his constituency, or risk not being reelected. This acting in ways congruent with the beliefs of the constituency can be seen in the strong stances Menendez has taken against the Republican party during the government shutdown and in raising the debt ceiling. During the government shutdown Senator Menendez stayed with the Democratic party in insisting funding the government at levels higher than the Republicans wanted (Hill, Dealing With Congress...). Menendez would continue to stay with the party in the debt ceiling showdown, and would continue to heavily criticize Republicans for risking "the full faith and credit of the United States and inflicting unnecessary harm on hard-working families" (Ibid).
The "Two Congresses" come into conflict when Representatives act in opposing ways due to the wishes of their constituencies. Few situations embody this conflict as well as the battles over the government showdown and the debt ceiling. The Republican Party, mainly House Republicans, sought to use the deadline for funding the federal government as leverage for forcing spending cuts from the Democratic Senate and President Obama. During and after the fight over funding the federal government House Republicans sought to use the debt ceiling to force concessions from their Democratic colleagues. A small but determined contingent of House Republicans were acting on a perceived mandate resulting from their elections, many of which were explicitly on reducing government spending. Democrats, on the other hand, acted to preserve spending that either benefited their constituents or were supported by their constituents. Representative on both sides acted at the behest, or in the interests, of their constituents; it just so happened that they were opposed to one another resulting in a near cataclysmic default on America's debts.
Conflict in Congress is inherent, built into the system by the founders due to the wide range of interests of a diverse nation. A Representative can be assumed to be seeking reelection and through this assumption his actions can be seen as an attempt to achieve this, in this light he takes actions which either benefit his constituents or are desired by them. This link between representative and constituent is key as it ensures the representative represents. But the conflict of the "Two Congresses" comes into play when Representatives act in opposition to each other due to the desires and interests of their individual constituents. This conflict is not inherently negative as it is desirable that conflicting opinions be discussed and reconciled. However when conflict and obstruction becomes the goal, and not just a byproduct of discourse, that is when the "Two Congresses" become irreconcilable instead of just conflicting.
Sources
Hill, Jacob. Conflict Abroad and at Home: Dealing with Iran, Iraq, the Situation in Syria, and Reforming Political Disclosures. Two Congress at Work. BlogSpot.com. Posted November 2nd, 2013. http://2congressesatwork.blogspot.com/2013/11/conflict-abroad-and-at-home-dealing.html
Hill, Jacob. Responding to Developments in Syria and at Home. The Two Congresses at Work. BlogSpot.com. Posted September 14th, 2013. http://2congressesatwork.blogspot.com/2013/09/responding-to-developments-in-syria-and.html
Politico. 2012 New Jersey Senate Results. Politico.com. Posted November 19th, 2012
Hill, Jacob. Dealing With Congress, Dealing With Egypt, And Helping Out on the Campaign Trail. The Two Congresses at Work. BlogSpot.com. Posted October 14th, 2013. http://2congressesatwork.blogspot.com/2013/10/dealing-with-congress-dealing-with.html
No comments:
Post a Comment