For the average Trump supporter yearning to watch Trump take a sledgehammer to a corrupt, bloated federal government and finally take the boot off the neck of our economy, the last few weeks have been thrilling.
We've seen Elon and Vivek uncovering massive waste and inefficiencies in government. We have Trump promising to shutter departments and cut regulations. There is an unmistakable optimism in the air, and it feels good.
America is back, baby!
Or is it?
As thrilled as I am with Trump's victory, I fear we're in for a rude awakening over the next four years as every meaningful and much-needed reform proposed by this administration dies a slow death in the corrupt geriatric body of wealthy stock traders and full-time campaigners in our nation's Capitol: The United States Congress.
Yes, Trump can issue a few executive orders, he can cut a few regulations, but as we saw during Biden's disgrace of a administration, all those things can be reversed on day 1 of the next administration.
For any kind of lasting, meaningful reform we will first have to reform Congress. Without reform, Congress will likely be the greatest roadblock Trump is sure to face over the next four years.
This is a dangerous place to be. We're going to see our elected representatives constantly standing in the way of Trump's agenda, and by extension, the will of the people. Calls for the crippling or abolishment of Congress will start to look more tempting. It's the same reason Rome's Senate fell to the iron fist of an emperor.
To avoid that very un-American fate, we need to get Congress working for the people again. We need to re-establish them as a meaningful roadblock to government overreach, instead of a facilitator of it.
In no particular order, here are a few changes that I think would help:
Limit Congress to a single term and take constant reelection campaigning off the table.
Shut down the Capitol and make them live in their districts all year long and vote remotely.
Require single-issue and single budget-item bills. Ban them from stock trading.
Ban them from government, media, and lobbyist work after serving.
This one's a stretch and would require a constitutional amendment, but it would do wonders: Require people to be married with children and have 15 years of experience in the private sector to be qualified to run for Congress.
What do you think? Are there any you would add to this?
Let me know in the comments.
