[sailfast]

We do not have a eunuch congress - but we do have a Congress that believes their balls have been removed despite being there the whole time. This is a solvable problem, happily. It does, however, require some will and for folks to remember they actually have some power as elected representatives to the highest legislative body in the land.

[LightBug1]

Remember? ... Memories have a price. Nothing's changing any time soon while the elected represent money, and paid-for interests.

Of the dollar, by the dollar, for the dollar ...

[CodingJeebus]

The framing that congressional politicians have "forgotten" that they have power is a silly and dishonest trope. They absolutely know that they have power, but they also just watched multiple incumbents (Cornyn, Cassidy, Massie just to name a few) who didn't get Trump's endorsement lose their respective primaries, effectively ending their political careers.

Members of Congress, just like everyone else, act in their own self-interest. And unfortunately for pretty much everyone else, their best method of self-preservation is to do nothing, hence the "eunuch" Congress.

[steele]

The well-actually testicle TED talk misses the point. Representatives have power, and sometimes that power is for sale. And that position to represent was also for sale. As was the attention of the electorate.

Honestly, calling Congress castrated is fine because it is healthy venting about how ineffective they seem at their charter.

Even though it's really charming and compelling to believe, there is no one solvable problem simply requiring elbow grease, voting harder, proprioception of comically vulnerable reproductive organs, etc.

[sheikhnbake]

The only power congress theoretically has to impact the administration is that of the purse.

But the admin has repeatedly ignored such restrictions. This check on power also loses it's teeth when the oligarchs align themselves behind the executive branch.

[everdrive]

That's not true at all, they could:

- impeach

- pass new laws / revise old laws

- hold real hearings

- amend the constitution

Now practically will this congress do so? No, but in principle they wield more power than the executive.

[sheikhnbake]

In the context of the current admin:

- They have impeached already, multiple times.

- Congress has no means of enforcing any laws they pass aside from trying to withhold funding.

- Hearings are political circus at best with no real consequences. See: 0 US based Epstein abusers in any form of incarceration.

- ah yes, amending the constitution. a very realistic and responsive option

Since none of these are practical, then congress wields no practical power. In principle and technicalities are useless. Even if the dems were able to take a progressive super majority, unless they passed a law granting congress law enforcement powers w/ funding they're declawed.

[everdrive]

I don't disagree with you, and I think you might have misunderstood me. I think Congress could start clawing these back, but I agree, right now they have no effective power, which is why I called them a "eunuch congress."

[sheikhnbake]

Perhaps that's where we would disagree. I don't think congress has the means to claw anything back at this point or in the future. We're essentially well into a self-coup

[xnx]

They can also impeach

[sheikhnbake]

They have impeached already, multiple times.

[daheza]

During his last term yes, during this term no they haven't. They could at least be pushing for this, there's a few republicans on the out of Trumps circle, maybe they could make some movement. Instead they sit around and do nothing, letting the crimes take place with no attempt to even declare it as wrong.

[sheikhnbake]

Every day is an endless stream of media and commentary on the illegal things he's doing with no accountability. Even in the highly unlikely event of an impeachment conviction, I don't see how that changes anything from a practical standpoint. The DoJ isn't going to enforce the conviction, and military leadership has steadily been replaced with yes-people since the admin took office.