Tom Daschle
The nation faces a crisis in governance
As Congress reconvenes after its August recess, it is sobering to consider the amount of legislative work that lies ahead in the 43 days left in the first session of the 115th Congress.
Before Oct. 1 and with only a dozen legislative days scheduled for the House of Representatives in September, members must address the national debt limit, fund the federal government and reauthorize critical health care programs, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program and community health centers. All of this in the midst of the immediate need to stabilize the individual insurance marketplace.
Given the record of this Congress for the first eight months, the extraordinary level of dysfunction and disarray is deeply troubling. Republicans have attempted to run both the legislative and executive branch of government completely alone. The relationship between President Trump and members of his party in Congress has become increasingly tense, largely as a result of the president’s personal attacks on Republican congressional leaders.
16% APPROVAL
As a result, our country is facing a crisis in governance unlike anything we have seen in modern times. Congress’ approval rating stands at a meager 16%. The noise of democracy with the cacophony of shrill and disparate voices emanating from far right and left has become a painful listening experience. It has turned progressively to intransigence in Congress and violent exchanges on the streets of our cities.
Crises serve as an effective unifier in American politics. We saw it after 9/11 and the anthrax attack on my office a month later. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, perhaps there is hope that however briefly, the country and the Congress can unite again to respond effectively.
As summer ends and the country turns once more to matters at hand — including the need to provide resources for recovery from the disaster in Texas and Louisiana — Congress has yet another opportunity for good governance. Members would do well to reflect on their sworn constitutional duties as they occupy the historic chambers and committee rooms within which they work. They should reflect on the contributions of true statesmen of other eras — men and women who rose to the occasion to address the challenges of their day.
Perhaps there are none more qualified to demand better governance than the more than 1.1 million men and women who have fought and died for our country’s democracy and way of life.
‘THE YOUNG DEAD SOLDIERS’
Archibald Macleish, an American poet laureate and a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, became the Librarian of Congress in 1939. He wrote poetry only once during his tenure. He was so moved by those who had given their lives in World War II that he wrote a poem to commemorate those who had worked in the library and had gone to war after having seen one such soldier buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
It is entitled The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak. He wrote the poem from the perspective of the fallen soldier with a personal message to future generations.
Macleish asked that his work be attributed anonymously. It is a powerful poem. And it is as relevant today as when it was written. There are two sentences that are especially pertinent to our political circumstances:
“They say, Our deaths are not ours: they are yours: they will mean what you make them. ...
“They say, We leave you our deaths: give them their meaning”
I cannot help but lament how unlikely it is that many members of Congress understand the magnitude of the commitment that prior generations of Americans have made on behalf of preserving this republic. But MacLeish’s words serve as an extraordinary admonition to each member who’s currently serving in Congress.
More than a million men and women have given their lives to preserve our democratic republic. The least each member of Congress can do now in respect for those exceptional and historic contributions is to work together to restore a functioning federal government once again.
Battlefields throughout the United States and in countries around the world are strewn with the memories of sacrifices made by soldiers who died hoping their deaths would continue to advance the cause of freedom and effective governance. We might not remember their names, the circumstances or even the magnitude of their inspirational commitment. But we ought to remember its significance.
Their deaths are ours. They will mean only what we make them.
Let us hope that in the weeks ahead, Congress will see fit to give them proper meaning.
Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is a former U.S. Senate majority leader and founder and CEO of The Daschle Group.