I understand the great frustration with the lack of progress in solving the federal budget impasse in order to avoid a government shutdown.
As someone who takes pride in working in a bipartisan way for the good of American families, I share that frustration and disappointment.
There is one aspect of the recent government shutdown that may not be apparent from the news coverage.
There are a substantial number of Tea Party Republicans who are actually celebrating the fact that they have shut down the government.
Personally, I think it is a disgrace.
By inserting the Affordable Care Act, a complex law, into this larger debate on the budget they have zealously pursued that goal of “obstruction” and rallied fellow Republicans to prevent any agreement from being reached.
So after President Obama agreed to accept the Republican demands to limit spending to so-called sequestration levels to reduce the deficit, Republicans responded by demanding further that the Affordable Care Act be defunded.
It is important to note that the Affordable Care Act is not scheduled to be fully implemented until 2018. And while there are certainly major improvements that need to be made to the ACA, that legislative process is ongoing and should not become part of the budget debate.
We have had major crises throughout the history of this country. But until recently, no political faction has so single-mindedly sought to dissolve or disrupt the day-to-day operation of the government as a goal in itself.
Our country has weathered insurrection and the Civil War, yet even through that tumultuous period our institutions of government persevered.
This country survived the Great Depression when millions were thrown out of work and the survival of many families was at risk. Ironically, in the end it was the agencies of government that helped us to steer toward a safe course and begin to heal.
Our national government has endured through world wars that were disputed passionately and widely by its citizens. Still, the institutions of government continued to give voice, support and service to our citizens.
And we have had long and hard-fought political battles to give life and meaning to the ideas of civil rights, equality and liberty and justice for all of our citizens as those concepts are embodied in our Constitution.
Throughout all of our history we have maintained the ability of this government “of the people, by the people and for the people” to meet every challenge.
But not in this current Congress.
That is what is so troubling about the reckless way that many Tea Party members of Congress regard our government. They seem to view it with a mixture of disrespect and contempt.
While Congress has earned its share of criticism and it may be all the rage to condemn our government, it is important to remember that without it we simply become a mob.
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch represents the Massachusetts 8th Congressional District.
