by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
House Speaker Paul Ryan is apparently set to announce his retirement from Congress effective at the end of his current term. Good riddance.
Ryan's impending exit is being reported as an acknowledgment that he anticipates his party, the once-proud GOP, will lose it's majority in the House following the 2018 midterm elections. Rats always seem to know when the ship is preparing to sink.
Ryan's departure, along with that of dozens of other Republican representatives, is feeding into a self-fulfilling prophecy, one that would indicate that Democrats are indeed very likely to retake control of the House of Representatives this November - unless, of course, they screw it up. Democrats are, after all, democrats.
Democratic control of the House would more than likely bear a strong resemblance to the last time Democrats had control. Creaky old Nancy Pelosi (age 78) would again be Speaker, and equally creaky Steny Hoyer (also age 78) would be the Majority Leader. Together they should be able to keep the kids in line, at least for awhile longer, and stem any tides of unruly energy that might threaten to flow into Congress.
Same swamp, same old gators.
There is some young blood circulating in the Democratic veins of Congress, but it is mostly being subsumed by the Geritol generation. If Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer really wanted to be of invaluable service to their party and their country, they would follow in Paul Ryan's footsteps and head out to pasture.
Here are five young members who have had enough experiencce in Congress to know how things work, yet still harbor enthusiam and ideals. They, and others, deserve a chance to lead before their idealistic lights begin to dim.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (36) of Hawaii has served in the House since 2013. She is a proponent of gun safety reforn, making America's election process more secure, and civil defense preparedness. Gabbard earned the ire of some members of the party when she stepped down from her position as an assistant chair with the Democratic National Committee in order to endorse the presidential candidacy of Senator Bernie Sanders. She also angered politicians in both parties last year when she urged restraint in dealing with Syria. Gabbard is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve who served in the Middle East conflicts. She is the first Hindu to serve in Congress, as well as the first American of Samoan descent.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (47) has been representing parts of Brooklyn and Queens (NY) in Congress since 2013. He is an advocate for public heath care, and has an interest in the music industry - supporting creator's rights and recognition for female rappers. He is an outspoken critic of the Trump administration. Rep. Jeffries has degrees from Binghamton University, Georgetown University, and the University of New York Law School.
Rep. Jsoeph P. Kennedy, III, (37) has also served in the House since 2013. The Massachusetts legislator in the grandson of Bobby and Ethel Kennedy and a rising star on the national political scene. Kennedy is an advocate for gun safety legislation and a vocal critic of Donald Trump. There is some press buzz that he is focused on moving beyond Congress. Young Kennedy has the charm and the eloquence of a . . . well, a Kennedy.
Rep. Seth Moulton, also from Massachusetts, is only in his second term in the House, having served since 2015. Moulton is 39 and a former Marine Corps officer who still receives his medical treatment through the VA - and consequently has a strong interest in the viability of that organization. Moulton did four tours in Iraq and has three degrees from Harvard. He is a proponent of bi-partisanship in Congress, a stance that has put him at odds with his party's leadership.
Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas had been in the House since 2013. He is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives and the identical twin brother of former San Antonio Mayor and Obama cabinet member Julian Castro. Castro is 43 and an outspoken critic of the Trump administration. He is a strong supporter of DACA and immigrant rights. Castro graduated with honors from Stanford and has a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Those are just five - and their backgrounds, positions, and personalities are as different, yet as defining - as America itself. And there are many, many other people of talent and inspiration sitting on the Democratic benches eager to showcase their leadership abilities - but first the old barnacles like Pelosi and Hoyer have to loosen their death grip on the ship of state.
Stuff the rules and traditions. The times have changed, and it's high time that Congress itself changes. Congress needs the energy and vision of its younger members - and they need to be serving in the positions where they can actually effect change.
Citizen Journalist
House Speaker Paul Ryan is apparently set to announce his retirement from Congress effective at the end of his current term. Good riddance.
Ryan's impending exit is being reported as an acknowledgment that he anticipates his party, the once-proud GOP, will lose it's majority in the House following the 2018 midterm elections. Rats always seem to know when the ship is preparing to sink.
Ryan's departure, along with that of dozens of other Republican representatives, is feeding into a self-fulfilling prophecy, one that would indicate that Democrats are indeed very likely to retake control of the House of Representatives this November - unless, of course, they screw it up. Democrats are, after all, democrats.
Democratic control of the House would more than likely bear a strong resemblance to the last time Democrats had control. Creaky old Nancy Pelosi (age 78) would again be Speaker, and equally creaky Steny Hoyer (also age 78) would be the Majority Leader. Together they should be able to keep the kids in line, at least for awhile longer, and stem any tides of unruly energy that might threaten to flow into Congress.
Same swamp, same old gators.
There is some young blood circulating in the Democratic veins of Congress, but it is mostly being subsumed by the Geritol generation. If Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer really wanted to be of invaluable service to their party and their country, they would follow in Paul Ryan's footsteps and head out to pasture.
Here are five young members who have had enough experiencce in Congress to know how things work, yet still harbor enthusiam and ideals. They, and others, deserve a chance to lead before their idealistic lights begin to dim.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (36) of Hawaii has served in the House since 2013. She is a proponent of gun safety reforn, making America's election process more secure, and civil defense preparedness. Gabbard earned the ire of some members of the party when she stepped down from her position as an assistant chair with the Democratic National Committee in order to endorse the presidential candidacy of Senator Bernie Sanders. She also angered politicians in both parties last year when she urged restraint in dealing with Syria. Gabbard is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve who served in the Middle East conflicts. She is the first Hindu to serve in Congress, as well as the first American of Samoan descent.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (47) has been representing parts of Brooklyn and Queens (NY) in Congress since 2013. He is an advocate for public heath care, and has an interest in the music industry - supporting creator's rights and recognition for female rappers. He is an outspoken critic of the Trump administration. Rep. Jeffries has degrees from Binghamton University, Georgetown University, and the University of New York Law School.
Rep. Jsoeph P. Kennedy, III, (37) has also served in the House since 2013. The Massachusetts legislator in the grandson of Bobby and Ethel Kennedy and a rising star on the national political scene. Kennedy is an advocate for gun safety legislation and a vocal critic of Donald Trump. There is some press buzz that he is focused on moving beyond Congress. Young Kennedy has the charm and the eloquence of a . . . well, a Kennedy.
Rep. Seth Moulton, also from Massachusetts, is only in his second term in the House, having served since 2015. Moulton is 39 and a former Marine Corps officer who still receives his medical treatment through the VA - and consequently has a strong interest in the viability of that organization. Moulton did four tours in Iraq and has three degrees from Harvard. He is a proponent of bi-partisanship in Congress, a stance that has put him at odds with his party's leadership.
Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas had been in the House since 2013. He is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives and the identical twin brother of former San Antonio Mayor and Obama cabinet member Julian Castro. Castro is 43 and an outspoken critic of the Trump administration. He is a strong supporter of DACA and immigrant rights. Castro graduated with honors from Stanford and has a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Those are just five - and their backgrounds, positions, and personalities are as different, yet as defining - as America itself. And there are many, many other people of talent and inspiration sitting on the Democratic benches eager to showcase their leadership abilities - but first the old barnacles like Pelosi and Hoyer have to loosen their death grip on the ship of state.
Stuff the rules and traditions. The times have changed, and it's high time that Congress itself changes. Congress needs the energy and vision of its younger members - and they need to be serving in the positions where they can actually effect change.
1 comment:
Amen!
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