Congress: Game of Extortion

Posted by Tina

Congressional approval ratings are in the dumper. It’s not surprising the reasons given for the low approval numbers are always themed around getting things done…their inability to get things done or their lack of cooperation to get things done. But Congress is by nature a very contentious body so that doesn’t really explain the dissatisfaction that the American people feel. The people sense a much deeper problem in DC; Peter Schweitzer may have put his finger on it.

Bruce Bialosky over at TownHall reports on an explosive new book by Mr. Sweitzer called “Extortion” in which is revealed everything we have always feared about Washingtn DC political fundraising. His research shows that members of Congress use extortion to extract big money from large companies and special interest groups with no real intention to make laws that work:

Peter Schweizer dismantles the idea of the innocent Washington politicians in his book Extortion. In chapter after chapter he explains how the current system extracts millions from corporations and other interest groups by manipulating legislation to feed the elected officials various different funds. Schweizer told me “Politics is destroying money; not the reverse.”

The entire system is organized to not fix problems. Schweizer details how our elected representatives are running basically a protection racket. As Schweizer stated, “The goal is to create more problems or let problems fester.” Members of Congress go to special interest groups and tell them if they don’t hand over big bucks then a bill which may have a small chance of passing or has been presented annually will be brought up at great detriment to the target’s business interests.

Follow the link to read more or buy the book here or at your favorite retailer.

The good news is that Sweitzer offers two solutions which I agree would have a profound impact on how business is conducted in Washington. One is to disallow fundraising when Congress is in session. The other is to demand that bills stand alone…no more omnibus bills that can be deliberatley written in complex ways so they can easily be exploited later for fundraising.

The question now is how to make these ideas into law?