Letter: Obstruction is not, and should not be, government’s guiding premise

John Faulkner’s assertion (TCH, March 29) that the Founders structured our government to promote obstruction is outrageous and outlandish. His letter is just an attempt to justify reprehensible Republican behavior in Congress these past six years.

It’s beyond any doubt that the Founders intended Congress to be the legislative body where proposals are introduced, then discussed and debated to understand and reconcile disparate viewpoints, and finally blended, through compromise, into bills acceptable to all competing interests. In this way, and only in this way, could the nation move forward towards a more perfect union.

It isn’t surprising that Congress, with good reason, currently has only single-digit approval ratings with the American public. It goes back to Mitch McConnell’s stated goal back in 2010 to resist any efforts by Congress to pass legislation that could be credited to President Obama.

Recovery from the 2008 economic collapse had barely begun, and stimulative measures such as infrastructure repair and upgrade were among the no-brainers that Congress could have worked on, but chose instead to do nothing. Obstruction is not, and should not be, government’s guiding premise.

This story was originally published April 30, 2016 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Letter: Obstruction is not, and should not be, government’s guiding premise."