Congressional Leadership

By Richard A. Baker

Our Congressmen are the leaders of our country, the leaders of the communities that elected them. They are the ones that our children look up to, the men and women who set the standards for the people of this land.

But when I look at Congress, and at the men and women that serve there, I am disappointed at what I see. When I watch debates in Congress, I see speeches and votes on bills that have not been read. The Immigration Reform bill, for example, was put to vote before most members of Congress had the opportunity to evaluate the words of the law. The concepts of a piece of legislation are important, but the actual text is critical. That is what the citizens must follow, that is what the courts must interpret and enforce. And specific words have significant meaning, specific importance. Voting on a bill without reading the text of the litigation is unimaginable. And our Congressmen are voting without reading.

When I evaluate the effectiveness of a committee, I look at the voting patterns of the members. Do they often vote as a block, with predictable groupings? Do they often vote along party lines? When the members consistently vote in a block, it is a sign of an ineffective organization, one where politics overrides the merits of the issue. When I vote for a representative, I want a person who is an independent thinker, one who evaluates each bill with thought and insight. I want a leader, not someone who follows the crowd. Consistent block voting is a sign of a dysfunctional legislative body. One that needs to be changed.

And the opportunity to change is coming next November. A chance to restore respect to the House of Representatives. A chance to cast your vote to change Congress. A vote for Richard Baker is that vote for change.

I promise that I will review legislation before voting, analyzing the issues and the details of the bills before me. I pledge to think about the merits of the legislation, and make an independent decision before I cast my votes.