70 former senators write in a joint letter: U.S. Senate fails to fulfill its duties

Chinanews.com, February 26. According to the American Overseas Press website on the 25th, recently, the United States "Washington Post" published an open letter written by 70 former congressmen to the United States Congress.

The open letter reportedly states: "At present, Congress has not fulfilled its constitutional responsibilities, most of which are borne by the Senate. The purpose of this letter is to urge the establishment of a bipartisan core group of current senators. Members will work to enable the Senate to play its due role as a constitution maker. "

Data Map: Capitol Hill. Photo by Shaoxing Ting, China News Agency

Former senators pointed out in their letter that, as stated in Article 1 of the Constitution, "All legislative powers granted by this law belong to the United States Congress, and the Congress is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives." Legislators operate with the will, leaving the decision-making powers to the less democratic executive and judicial branches, including the power to manage international trade, the power to authorize the use of military power in foreign conflicts, and the Financial power.

In this regard, they also wrote that in recent decades, it has become a routine partisan deadlock, causing the executive branch to "legislate" according to its own situation through executive orders and administrative regulations, and the Senate's act of abandoning legislative and supervisory responsibilities has weakened the purpose of defending Free decentralized checks and balances, and freedom is the foundation of American democracy.

"Interestingly, some incumbent members have told us that the decline in the Senate's status has made them doubt whether it would make sense to continue in office. It also makes candidates question whether Senate membership is worth their tremendous effort and cost to run."

The 70 former senators said in their letter that they were concerned that the legislative process in the Senate would no longer be effective. They believe that a bipartisan core group of incumbent members will be able to provide senators with meaningful committee work and Senate meetings, provide a fair opportunity, and help restore the Senate's important place in the US constitutional system.