By Daniel M. FitzPatrick
Most of us remember summer school as an opportunity to catch up on academic courses or college credits missed, or to get some extra help on a particular topic.
The basic concept is making a short-term sacrifice (giving up some summer vacation time) in order to achieve an important goal (enhancing chances for future success). Very rarely is anyone happy to make that sacrifice, but the benefits are usually very much worth it.
I believe it is time for Congress to go to summer school.
Our country faces serious challenges, internally and externally. The principal responsibilities of government include ensuring national security and promoting the well-being of its citizens. A healthy and growing economy – with job growth and opportunity for all – is critical to that well-being.
For some years, the American people have been signaling to their elected representatives their growing displeasure with the dysfunction and lack of progress in problem solving occurring in Washington. They’ve also voiced their frustration with the increasing burden of government policies, regulations and the taxes required to feed the continuous growth of the bureaucratic state.
According to Zillow, the median home value in the Washington D.C. area has risen more than 50% over the past decade. It’s beginning to feel like the “Art of the Deal” in reverse: we are not getting what we are paying for, and somebody is clearly getting rich at our expense.
With control of the White House and both Houses of Congress, the Republican party is currently in the position to drive action on a number of fronts that could materially advance the national well-being, especially with regards to taxation. Yet they have wasted precious time and effort being distracted by side issues and questionable scandal claims promoted by those who wish to see them fail. Most of these topics (the latest being the Emoluments Clause litigation) excite only the bi-coastal “chattering classes” and are of very little interest to the majority of Americans trying to make a living and a life for their families; they care about national security and economic well-being, and are getting VERY impatient. If things don’t start getting fixed very soon, there will be electoral consequences.
There are only six months left in 2017. Six months to show progress before the 2018 election cycle begins in earnest. 2018 could be a big test. For most of us, when you’ve wasted time, not gotten your school work done and are not prepared for a big test, you need to go to summer school. Congress needs to cancel its August recess and spend that time doing the work we hired and are paying them for. If they don’t, they run a great risk of being kicked out of school.
Dan FitzPatrick is an active member of the community and a volunteer. He serves on the board of Greenwich Emergency Medical Services, Inc.
