On its 50th anniversary, everyone’s praising the Civil Rights Act that passed a bipartisan Congress back in 1964. Even Rand Paul had some good things to say about it. But if today’s Congress was given that opportunity to do something big, as big as voting on that bill, what would be the outcome?
Congressman John Lewis, a man who has carried the scars of a life-long struggle for civil rights, used this 50th anniversary of the law to share some unbelievable truths – that the Congress of 2014 is so partisan, so divided, that something as important as the Civil Rights Act would not even be brought to the floor for a vote.
In a tweet, Congressman Lewis said this;
And the congressman is absolutely correct. Today’s Congress – specifically the Republicans – is presently on pace to be the least effective Congress in the history of this country. They have said and demonstrated time and again, that making the president fail is more important than making the country succeed. They have lied, called him childish names with ugly racial undertones, multiple threats of impeachment and now a threat to sue the president by the Republican House Speaker, John Boehner.
These so called leaders have failed time and again to take up any of the president’s proposal, failed to agree on a single jobs bill and even failed to keep the government open, a basic requirement and part of their job description as laid out in the constitution.
If these people couldn’t agree to keep the lights on in Washington, passing a major bill like the civil rights act of 1964 is way above their qualifications.