According to President Barack Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope, " .
however, it is not what it seems to happen, for example, on the Senate floor. As President Obama states:.
If you stick around, though, you may see one lone senator standing at his desk after the others have left, seeking recognition to deliver a statement on the floor. It may be an explanation of a bill he's introducing, or it may be a broader commentary on some unmet national challenge. The speaker's voice may flare with passion; his arguments " about cuts to programs for the poor, or obstructionism on judicial appointments, or the need for energy independence " may be soundly constructed. But the speaker will be addressing a near-empty chamber: just the presiding officer, a few staffers, the Senate reporter, and the C-SPAN's unblinking eye. The speaker will finish. A blue-uniformed page will silently gather the statement for the official record. Another senator may enter as the first one departs, and she will stand at her desk, seek recognition, and deliver her statement, repeating the ritual. In the world's greatest deliberative body, no one is listening. (21-22).
The Senate and the House of Representative, I dare to say, want to resolve the conflicts of our society and country, but nobody is willing to listen and compromise. Taking the recent government shutdown is the clearest example of unwillingness in compromising. Congress took so long to decide on the national budget, that the country faced yet another unnecessary shutdown, leading to a 300 million dollar cost per day and risking a national collapse. The Congress was also supposed to be the "People's Branch, " but yet it does not seem to embody its promises as much. What is seems to do, however, is to let companies have a great effect on whether certain bills will be passed, or even considered for the matter, or not. It seems to me that Congress can run as it should if maybe it started worrying more about what the people want .
