Congress must fix its dysfunction and reclaim its role

You wouldn’t know it by looking now, but there was a time when Congress functioned and could actually get things done. Lawmakers from both parties would come together and find solutions to some of our biggest policy challenges, rather than go on cable news and snipe at one another.

Can we rediscover the fundamentals of good governing? Since taking office, President Joe Biden has struck the right tone, calling for unity and collaboration. But now we need to put those words into practice.

A recent report from the group FIXUS included thoughts from several former lawmakers and appointed officials about how to repair our governing institutions. A clear takeaway is that Congress needs to play a leading role in promoting good governance and restoring voters’ faith in our democracy.

You actually don’t have to look too far back to know this is possible. During her political career representing New York, one of this article’s co-authors, Susan Molinari, served as a proud Republican and in several leadership positions. But she

also met regularly with the rest of the state’s delegation, discussing constituent issues through a lens of what mattered for New Yorkers, not political parties. She was also a member of other bipartisan groups, such as the women’s caucus, which would meet on issues like sexual harassment in the military and breast cancer research.

The other authors can share similar experiences from their time representing Texas, North Dakota and Kansas. We know from firsthand experience that people with different opinions and backgrounds can work together, be civil with each other and find solutions that help all Americans.

Regular, in-person meetings and working on causes that cross party lines can restore the personal connections that seem to have been lost. Policymaking is nearly impossible if members of Congress don’t take the time to relate to one another and find commonalities that aren’t easily noticeable on Twitter or partisan news outlets.

Congress needs to do more than just rediscover civil discourse. It also needs to reclaim its primary role as the maker of laws. To do that, congressional committees and subcommittees have to be given the chance to do their work.

Normally, when a bill gets introduced, it’s assigned to the appropriate committee for public hearings and amendments, and — if approved by the committee — sent to the full House or Senate for a vote. At least, that’s how the process should work. But this process of “regular order” has become much less common in recent years.

Too often, legislative gridlock has left the president to make policy through executive actions. When legislation is actually passed, it’s often based on behind-the-scenes negotiations between leadership, with rank-and-file members only consulted for vote counts.

Just following regular order and taking the time to talk with members of the other party as people — not adversaries — could go a long way to restoring Congress’ role as an equal and functional branch of government. If lawmakers spend more time together working on the issues that are really important to Americans, they can rediscover the importance of open communication, compromise and good governing.