What’s wrong with Congress? – CBS News

The United States Congress is facing a systemic decline in its ability to function through regular order, characterized by a shift toward governing by shortcut and a loss of institutional capacity.

The erosion of regular order—the formal process of introducing, debating, and amending legislation in committees before it reaches the floor—has left the legislature struggling to perform its core constitutional duties.

This institutional decay is not merely a result of partisan friction but a deeper structural failure.

The Decline of Regular Order in Lawmaking

Regular order serves as the primary mechanism for legislative scrutiny. When this process is bypassed, legislation often lacks the rigorous debate and amendment phases intended to refine policy.

Instead of focused bills, the legislature has pivoted toward massive spending packages. These omnibus bills combine unrelated policy priorities into a single “must-pass” vehicle to avoid government shutdowns.

The consequence of this shift is a transfer of power. As Congress fails to legislate, the executive branch often fills the vacuum through executive orders and agency rulemaking, which are more susceptible to reversal by subsequent administrations.

Institutional Investment and Article I

This perspective suggests that the “wrong” with Congress is not just political polarization, but a lack of the tools and norms required to manage a complex, modern state. Restoring the legislature’s capacity to govern requires a deliberate return to the procedural norms that once defined the American legislative process.

Public Apathy and the Cost of Silence

The institutional struggle within the Capitol has coincided with a shift in public engagement. A letter published by the Daily Camera asserts that this is a dangerous period for political apathy, arguing that silence in the face of legislative dysfunction is effectively assent to the status quo.

The argument presented is that the power of Congress remains immense, and the failure of the institution to function properly has direct impacts on the citizenry. When the legislature fails to exercise its oversight and lawmaking powers, the resulting instability affects national security, economic planning, and civil liberties.

The Crossroads of Legislative Identity

The question of what kind of legislature the U.S. currently possesses is central to the analysis provided by the Financial Channel.

This identity crisis is reflected in the tension between the desire for rapid political wins and the slow, methodical nature of traditional lawmaking. The pressure for immediate results often drives leadership to abandon regular order in favor of the aforementioned shortcuts, further hollowing out the institution’s long-term capability.

The current trajectory indicates that unless there is a systemic shift back toward committee-based work and a rejection of the omnibus model, the legislative branch will continue to struggle with its fundamental purpose of creating stable, lasting law.