(2006-07-17) Gingrich Foley Broken Congress

Newt Gingrich and Thomas Foley on how badly broken the US Congress (Legislative Branch) is.

The men had no trouble identifying the symptoms: a collapse of committee deliberations, the demise of oversight of the Executive Branch, the loss of the "regular order" of rules for debate and legislation, a runaway spending process, and a shrinking legislative calendar.

The causes were also not difficult to find: Gerry Mander-ed districts, travel and fundraising needs keeping lawmakers away from Washington, the loss of centrists in both parties, quickening news cycles and the reliance on lobbyist-raised cash.

Their solutions were incremental: Restore committee power to write laws, ban fundraising in Washington, abolish lawmakers' political action committees, end spending "EarMark-s" and enforce the rules that guide the legislative process. But a real change, they concurred, would come only with fresh blood.