Our Congress at Work
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by wingfield
One of the functions of the press, in the guise of the media module, is to bring before the people information about how their representatives are serving them. Democracy may be fragile but without public accountability, greater evils run free, as we have seen in recent times.
Amid the euphoria of a restored Congress, I have pulled back from some of my earlier involvement and wish to spend a little time bringing the political news to you all. While I might make editorial comment, such opinions are my own and not those of the representatives whose activity I report.
However, what I would like to see is public, in-game discussion of the topics and issues from Congress that I bring before you. In this way, the public can engage in the debate, including those who are excluded from speaking in places like the forums.
While there are reserved and private areas for Congress discussion, there is also a dedicated forum room called “Public Congressional Proceedings”. That is where actual Congress decisions are debated. Of course the decisions are made via in-game voting but things are canvassed in the forum room. Such discussions theoretically brief Congress members before casting their in-game votes.
Now, enough of all this introductory stuff! Let us see what our Congress has been doing.
32 of the 40 elected Congress members signed in for the new term. It would seem that the seven AFA members were not welcome, as always. More on that another time.
The two main items of business over the first two days were the work tax and a proposal to censure Hale26 for “not following procedure” in making the in-game proposal that lowered the tax to 5% so promptly after the election.
Incredible as it may seem to ordinary citizens, previous Congresses have put together supposed restrictions on the legitimate exercise of in-game powers of Congress members. These include not being able to propose laws without the approval of Congress after following arcane and cumbersome procedures. So when Hale26 stepped up at the earliest opportunity to propose an interim reduction of the work tax from 25% to 5%, pending further debate, he was pounced upon for his “temerity”.
Now Congress itself in-game passed Hale26’s proposal overwhelmingly. That constitutes APPROVAL of his actions, not condemnation. Nevertheless, a debate took place in Congress on whether to censure Hale26. Thankfully, common sense prevailed. No one supported censure. Here is a roll call of the 21 Congress members who opposed the censure:
Feds: texas_ironman93, Darian Dracona, Jefferson Locke, Clydeo, mikeypenny, AlexJ1890
AMP: CaseyJ, creitzell, TheWhiteFlame, Evry, stephen s, John Largo
WTP: The Mike, Howie1991, LeatherNeck, HeapSeppo, Alastor DoUrden
USWP: irule777, Dauntless2000, Kortanul
Ind: Mercurius100
On the Work Tax debate itself, the following 17 Congress members have participated in the discussion so far:
WTP: Hale26, HeapSeppo, Leather Neck, The Mike, Alastor DoUrden, Henry William French, Joseph J Craine
AMP: Evry, creitzell, TheWhiteFlame, stephen s, John Largo
Feds: Darian Dracona, Donovan Zoi, Texas_ironman93, Jefferson Locke
USWP: Kortanul
Now I wish to express a little concern that our Congress members are not being allowed to debate this matter without interference from non-members. I note multiple interventions by the following persons:
Oblige, Israel Stevens, Kemal Ergenekon, Wild Owl, gnilraps, ColinLantrip, Dio Publius, dmjohnston, DMV3, and even Pfeiffer (!!!)
That is ten people speaking in a debate in which they have no business in participating. The Country President is NOT a members of Congress and should only speak when explicitly invited to do so.
While Kemal Ergenekon is a respected economic luminary, he should only participate as a guest “in committee” and be asked to brief members and answer questions, rather than debating.
As for the others, they should stick to their own responsibilities and the hostile foreigner should be excluded! Attacks on Congress members participating in the debate by outsiders who intervene should also be dealt with by the Speaker.
If we have a Congress, let them be just that, without interference! As for the rest of us, we have our own space in the Congress forum where we can say what we like if so inclined.
That will do for now. I encourage public debate on the two issues covered above. Give your Congress members the benefit of your thoughts!
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Comments
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I participated in this discussion a couple of years ago. I tend to agree that non-Congressy types should not post in Private Congress. Basically. When I was Speaker (and this is otherwise the Speakers prerogative), I chucked a few positions from access. But the pressure was immense wrt certain titled posts (think you were a member that term too).
As to Public Congress, each post is allowed or disallowed by, again, the prerogative of the SoH or a DSoH. I know me and my peeps tended to allow anything constructive to the discussion, which includes pro and con arguments.
It's an age old topic my brother. Every Speaker faces it day one, and usually makes a few adjustments. But, in example, how do you NOT allow the eco folks to speak when the budget is the main concern of Congress?
I'm sure we had a private discussion on this when you were Speaker and I was "inside". My memories of then are still influencing my thinking. Even Pfeiffer was in Congress then!
I think that I've treated Kemal as a special case above, as we all want to hear what he thinks!
Otherwise, I think the privileges of Congress members and the respect due them in their own chamber should be enforced a little more by prudent management from the Speaker and Deputies. What I have seen in the debated reported on is kinda getting out of hand.
Really, since it falls to the SoH, complaints wrt moderation should fall there. And my view was always that if I was doing a poor job at that task, I'd be told. Then removed. But Congress could certainly propose and debate an access list to all within it's purview. Never been done, since in theory the SoH represents the will of the body within the institution, in majority. But it could be done ofc.
About interventions. We have some shadow congressman this month because of ATO operations that fell through. There is one shadow congress man for each party. Oblige is the president so he has the righ to talk in the debates.
I have differed with people on that question in the past and I still believe that the President has no right to take part in Congress debates. If nothing else it is a violation of the separation of powers.
Honestly, I don't think so but every man has a right to their opinion.
That legislation never passed.
well written. i agree with your points.
Each and every day another example of why the Congressional Forums should be removed from the eUS Forums, citizens who have no business even having access to the forums are influencing America's Congress members; one of which is an FN traitor....
I cannot handle the stupid in this article.
Same here
My personal contributions are as a Deputy Secretary of Defense, ensuring that congress is aware of the monetary situation within the largest budgetary line holder.
Thank Dio nobody takes you seriously, or line by line rebuttals would be necessary.
[removed]
"Amid the euphoria of a restored Congress"
I was unaware that having a congress caused such an intense emotion.
Public congress should be "view only" non-congress members.
Everything except military/strategic planing, containing sensitive data should be discussed in public.
The president should be entitled to point out his opinion about an issue, but not participate and/or direct a discussion.
This should be applied also to counselors and cabinet members if the topics are a part of their expertise. Others should speak out only if invited by congress.
And this shadowing of 4 candidates that participated in the ATO and lost their seat is ridiculous, to say the least.
The people speaking out that are not in congress were invited to speak out by being given access to post whenever they like. If congress/SoH didn't like it, they would be removed, but since they haven't been, and their posts are still there... I'd say their posts are just fine.
Voted.