Our nation's capital is a disaster zone, and we're not just talking about the rioting and looting.
In Congress, the COVID-19 aid talks are "on the brink of collapse" as Democrats and Republicans have failed to come to an agreement on several big items in the new bill.
And while Republicans are refusing to compromise on some issues, there's good evidence to suggest that the Democrats are being much more stubborn.
When asked a simple question about Republican "flexibility" by a PBS journalist, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attacked her as being a GOP operative.
"Well, if you want to be an advocate for them, Judy, if you want to be an advocate for them, listen to what the facts are," the speaker scolded the veteran anchor.
"I'm playing devil's advocate here," Woodruff responded.
"No, you aren't," Pelosi shot back.
Pelosi flips out at Judy Woodruff here because Woodruff isn't trying to bury the evidence that Democrats are purposely obstructing the stimulus bill because they'd rather see Republicans take a loss than see people receive relief: pic.twitter.com/vUmAedWKCO
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) August 6, 2020
(If you ask us, it sounds like Woodruff's question hit a little too close to home.)
Meanwhile, President Trump has threatened to go around the people's representatives in Congress and sign an executive order to continue expanded unemployment benefits, reinstate a moratorium on evictions, cut payroll taxes and continue a suspension of student loan repayments.
Trump believes the executive order is necessary to give Americans the relief they need amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but he sounds like he's getting comfortable with the "pen and phone" strategy of his predecessor.
In fact, in the first three full years of his presidency, Trump signed 29 more executive orders than President Obama did in his first three full years.
If it's not already obvious, DC is a mess. Our representatives can't lay down their agendas for the good of the people (and the good of the national budget), and the President is forced to propose actions that may go beyond the scope of his power.
We need to remind the politicians in D.C. that their power is limited, and that they're ultimately responsible to We the People. Voting in the November election will be important, but it's equally important that we change how D.C. operates with a Convention of States.
An Article V Convention of States can propose constitutional amendments that limit the power, scope, and jurisdiction of the federal government. We wouldn't be having these divisive conversations in Washington if Washington's power were restricted to a narrow set of topics (as the Constitution dictates).
The amendments proposed at a Convention of States can restore this federalist structure by limiting Congress' ability to spend (and waste) our money, reducing the federal government's jurisdiction over things like education and the environment, and reasserting the role of the states as the primary drivers of domestic policy.
It is possible to change how D.C. operates, but we can't rely on Washington to do it. We have to take matters into our own hands, and we can do just that with a Convention of States.
