I know it’s been a long while, but in an effort to better mind my own sanity during these times, I think it’s time I found ways to write more, so here goes.
I want to start by sharing a personal exercise I did recently. One day in late March, I saw two video clips. In the first, a Democratic representative from New Mexico asserts that Congress is handing over its authority to the President to do whatever he wants to the Federal government. That is not true.
In the second, a Republican representative (who also chairs the committee and sponsored this bill so in theory should know it best) maintains that this is just a reauthorization (more like a renewal than a change) of a bill that’s been around for a long time. That is also not true.
I got curious: what were the different parties advocating for? And did anyone “win?” Of course, quick searches online only brought up more clips. Clips, as many of us would do well to remember, are edited to support a viewpoint. They end right after a smart comment and leave out the reply, or start at just the right moment to leave out some necessary context. So I dug a little and found the full video of the hearing (the link starts at where debate about the bill begins). I encourage you to watch 10 or 12 minutes if you can.
And since I am a former nerdy law school student, I found the bill amending the regulations and hand-wrote in the amendments to see what these amendments would really change. More on that in a minute.
Here’s what I learned from watching the full video–and bear with me because, while I know none of us have time, it takes more than a few seconds to explain this: neither side was being entirely fair in their statements, and even though one side’s assertions arguably do more harm than the other, neither’s behavior is what we should accept from our representatives.
Why am I dwelling on this one bill? Because I want to remind myself, and anyone else who will listen, to always remember the role of spin doctors (and no, I’m not talking about the 90’s band). I think the communication about this bill to the public (whether from elected officials and their staff, from the media, or from organizations that try to look like media) is a good example of how what is actually happening can be completely obscured by the many videos, memes, and commentaries that pop up on our phones every day.
For anyone who’s interested, here’s what the bill is about: the authority to change the government to make it more efficient. The bill allows the President to propose changes, and ultimately implement them, but keeps the approval authority with Congress. The bill also expands the changes a President is allowed to make, and by a lot. And the new language is vague enough that it really can mean whatever the President wants it to mean.
So for example, the proposed language talks about cutting agencies to get rid of “unnecessary” operations, or reducing/ eliminating compliance rules, with no counterbalancing consideration required of what harm those rules are preventing or safety standards they are maintaining. It also allows the President to eliminate any department he wants, including one that has an enforcement function. The current regulations do not permit this, for obvious reasons.
So overall, it would give the president more (but not absolute) power than the executive branch currently has. It is not a complete rolling over and handing of Congressional control to the executive branch. But neither is it just an extension, or reauthorization, of existing law. It is a dangerous bill to pass at a time when the executive branch’s M.O. has been to do whatever it wants without regard for laws and procedures.
But if we are not hearing this message clearly, but rather are hearing only snide remarks and irrelevant questions, how are we supposed to know what our representatives are really doing? And consequently how are we to make wise choices about who to elect or what to vote and not vote for? The fact that so much of what we see and read, especially in the form of “news” on social media feeds, is so doctored to produce a certain reaction, is really alarming. And really harmful.
And that is my main point. We need to find a way, despite the information overload and lack of time, to read real news. We need to listen to, or watch, or read news reports that at least try to tell us what is happening in a balanced way. These news sources are out there, but they are, well, less flashy and less entertaining. But news is not entertainment. It is a fundamentally important part of a functional democracy and society. If it’s entertainment we seek, we can get that from Netflix.
On a side note, I was struck by how some legislators do not appear to have read the legislation they are introducing or debating, or they do not understand how regulations are organized. And that’s really sad for our country.
Broadly speaking, it hints at a common sentiment in my circles at the moment: our democracy is at a real risk of dying. The things the US government is doing are not only unlawful and, more broadly, trying to dismantle the rule of law, but they have created true suffering. I’m not talking about the many who have lost and will lose jobs, although that is extremely stressful and disruptive and will hurt families and the country in many ways. I’m talking about innocent people who happen to have the wrong skin color or speak the wrong language being ripped away from their homes and families and put in violent prisons in other countries even though they have never committed any crimes. And who have no way to prove their innocence or to go home. I never thought that this kind of thing would happen, and with such frequency in such a short amount of time, in America today. I am seeing just how powerful fear and misinformation can be in making the country act against its founding principles.
Another common sentiment I’m hearing a lot is: what can we do? I do not have an answer, but the following quote from Elie Wiesel (who was, as you probably know, saw the rise of authoritarianism up close as a Holocaust survivor who went on to become a professor, writer, and Nobel laureate) comes to mind: “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
― Elie Wiesel
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