Everyone knows Congress is broken.

For decades, the swamp in Washington, D.C., has embraced corrupt and incestuous policymaking at the expense of hard-working Americans. From passing $1.8 trillion, 4,155-page-long spending bills just before Christmas to secret, backroom deals negotiated by lobbyists and special interests, and passing $500-billion suspension bills without a single member even having to cast a vote ⸺ these broken processes are not what our Founding Fathers envisioned when they established our constitutional republic.   

This sentiment is broadly held across America, where Congress’ approval rating plummeted to just 15% under Nancy Pelosi.

To be clear, it’s not just one party responsible for the lack of trust in the institution. For decades, both Republican and Democrat leadership have worked to consolidate power at the top, leaving little ability for individual members to enact change on behalf of the people they represent.  

It was far past time to fundamentally change the way business is done in Congress.  

Read Lauren’s full op-ed from The Aspen Times