To say this was an exceptional election cycle would be an understatement. In many respects, this campaign began on January 20, 2021. Several anomalies in the 2020 Presidential election continued to be debated. But the 2020 chain of custody issues were one thing that could not be argued. State election laws were changed by secretaries of state, election boards and judges in violation of state constitutions. For many, the 2020 election was unfinished business.
Fast forward to this past Tuesday. It’s safe to say no one really knew what to expect going into Election Day. In many states voting had been going on for weeks. And yet, there was no clear direction what the results might be. The polls were all over the place. Worry was pervasive no matter whom you were supporting. Add to that several statewide and local ballot issues and there was much to digest to cast an informed vote.
In the end, the country voted to proceed in a different direction from the prior four years. Open borders, weakness in foreign policy, genital mutilation of children, runaway inflation, boys in girls’ locker rooms – all this insanity was roundly rejected. As of this blog, Donald Trump received 312 electoral votes and leads the popular vote by 4+ million. The Republican Party holds a majority in the Senate and looks to hold a majority in the House. By definition, this is a mandate.
And yet, this is not the mandate I‘m writing about…
We’ve been here before. In 2010, Republicans said they needed majority control of the House so they could stop President Obama’s spending. Republicans were given control in the 2010 election and nothing changed. Speaker John Boehner said, “We’re only one-half of one-third of the federal government” and argued for control of the Senate. Voters gave the Republican Party control of the Senate in the 2014 midterm elections. Then the excuse was, “Well, it doesn’t matter what we pass. If we do not have the presidency none of our good legislation will be signed into law.” So, voters gave Republicans the White House in 2016 in an historic election. Congress still punted in most instances. Significant policy changes came from the Oval Office through Executive Orders.
While there does seem to be a different tone in the days since the election, whether this will translate into meaningful action remains to be seen. If history is a guide, Congress will likely whither in the face of opportunity to follow through on policies they campaigned on. President-elect Trump might be able to provide Congress with a backbone this time – even though that failed in his first term. The federal bureaucracy, the “Swamp,” the “Deep State,” whatever you wish to call it, will still be tough to tame and “drain.”
The sheer size of our federal government that largely operates outside of its specific Enumerated Powers makes it difficult to achieve meaningful reforms. Every federal program has a constituent group and special interest efforts behind it. Politicians and bureaucracies act to protect themselves. The Framers knew this as a characteristic of human nature. There isn’t a lobbying group that advocates for the American people or constitutional governance. Government grows and grows regardless of election results.
Some of this is the result of the mixed signals voters send. Voters tend to have a “not in my backyard” mentality. “We need to decrease the size of government but, don’t cut this program that I benefit from.” Real change takes long-term commitment and hard work.
Will things be different this time? Perhaps. Many of the policies that were rejected are not the traditional ones of government’s proper role, level of taxation and regulation. The policies at the forefront of this election cycle were rather “unusual.’ They include whether we should allow an open invasion of our country; what’s a male or female or, is there even such a thing; why boys should or shouldn’t be allowed into girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms and, why shouldn’t we let males destroy women’s sports if they think they are a girl. Add to this the economic pain of average mortgage payments increasing $1,000 per month since 2021 or, the tripling cost of monthly grocery bills.
Maybe this time things will be different because the policies we rejected were so outrageous. Maybe we really did suffer enough pain these past four years to commit to what is necessary to make a meaningful course correction. Maybe we are prepared to sacrifice a little temporary comfort this time around. Well, I certainly hope so.
What makes these changes so difficult to make and sustain is that the federal government is far larger and more involved in our lives than it was intended to be. The result is that all of us are dependent on some aspect of the federal government. We currently have nearly $36 trillion in fiscal operating debt. Every single dollar of that debt is a result of the federal government doing something it does not have constitutional authority to do. We need to address the cause rather than continually treating the symptoms.
This is where you and your role in Convention of States Action comes in. Ours is the only national organization that is working to restore the principles of federalism and put us on a path back to constitutional government. Our resolution to propose constitutional amendments that limit the size, scope and jurisdiction of the federal government, discuss term limits for federal officials and restore fiscal restraints is the most complete solution to solve our problems.
This takes hard work. It takes commitment. It takes being an engaged and active self-governing citizen. In January, a new freshman class of legislators will be sworn into the Missouri Legislature. Of these individuals, is one your legislator? Whether or not you voted for that person, they are going to Jefferson City to represent you. Shouldn’t you know who they are? Shouldn’t they know you? Follow this link to the Missouri Secretary of State's election results website. If you are not sure who represents you at the state level, you can find out there. We will have more resources upcoming once their contact information and office assignments are published.
In liberty,
Brett
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