Get cameras out of Congress

MTG, others grab headlines, fail as lawmakers

This is an image from C-SPAN during the selection of Speaker of the House in January 2023, which was eventually won by Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California. He won on the 15th ballot. The Speaker was vacated last fall and eventually won by U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana.

With more than 20 years of covering local and state governments–Texas and South Carolina–it’s hard to not see politicians and appointed officials at all levels breaking the heart and spirit of openness and transparency with regularity.

When officials violate open meetings rules, embarrass them.

When officials attempt to do things to only benefit themselves, expose them.

When officials make decisions without scrutiny, remind them who pays the bills.

Use the Freedom of Information law to get public documents that expose wrongdoing or waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

As a reporter and editor, there was one glaring truth involving government: Nothing good ever comes from the lack of transparency. After all, we live in a time when far too many public officials have forgotten that taxpayers pay the bills.

That’s why it’s painful to contend that putting cameras in Congress is one of the worst ideas of the past 45 years. Get C-SPAN and the networks away from the DC political class. It has spawned “legislative theatrics” that achieve no oversight and accountability, therefore failing taxpayers.

The founders created a constitutional republic, and within that structure comes checks and balances. This balances the three branches–executive, legislative, and judicial–so power doesn’t become concentrated with an individual or group. 

For the legislature to accomplish checks and balances, they conduct oversight and accountability with requests for documents and hearings where appointed officials are asked questions–under oath–to seek the truth–and if necessary–follow through with accountability.

Many groups have offered ideas over the years to improve congressional oversight. Those groups focus on committee personnel and the technical process for committees conducting oversight.

In a perfect world, when a government program fails its objectives, it must die. If a federal agency wastes money, it must die. Congress must use the power of the purse to ensure federal agencies fulfill their purpose, otherwise they must  die. 

However, lousy federal agencies or programs never die; they get more money.

The presence of cameras has made matters worse. Far too often these hearings create more bark than bite, more headlines than results, and more viral videos than legitimate oversight and accountability. The violators exist on both sides of the aisle. When Trump was President, we had Adam Schiff  and Eric Swalwell, among others, play to the adoring media.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R- GA, is a lightning rod of controversy in the current session of the U.S. House of Representatives. Britannica/via Library of Congress

With the House of Representatives and its slimmest Republican majority, we now have Majorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Two recent examples underscore the need to turn off the cameras.

On May 16, the House Government Oversight and Accountability Committee took up the move to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for failing to comply with a committee subpoena. Greene insulted Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, TX. Greene said Crockett couldn’t read because of her “fake eyelashes.” Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York got in on the insulting behavior. Crockett also insulted MTG with “bleach blonde bad-built butch body.”

Instead of sober-minded focus, Greene and Crockett engaged in juvenile behavior. The panel wants the recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview of President Joe Biden on classified documents. The Hill’s Miranda Nazzaro wrote of Gartland:

‘I have released the full and unredacted report of Mr. Hur. We permitted Mr. Hur to testify for over five hours on everything that happened in connection with this investigation, and we provided the transcripts of the interviews in which the committee is interested,’ Garland said.

CBS News Congressional Correspondent Scott MacFarlane made the following observations on CBS 24/7 on May 17:

I have been watching this committee for 20 years. Never seen it like it’s been over the last couple months. There’s been a noticeable deterioration in the conduct, in the atmospherics in the room, and that can be contributable to the fact members on that committee regularly post their videos of a viral moment, pushing it to their supporters, pushing it out to their followers to raise money.

Viral videos only happen because of cameras. Get rid of them.

On Monday, that committee’s Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic had testimony by Dr. Tony Fauci. This came after Fauci’s assistant, David Morens, was exposed in late May for his consistent efforts to subvert transparency.

U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-MD, said in his questioning of Morens, “Sir, I think you’re going to be haunted by your testimony today.”

With that as the backdrop, Fauci was peppered with questions, primarily focused on origins of the pandemic. When Greene questioned Fauci, she refused to call him by his title, Dr. Headlines related to her focused on that rather than the multitude of substantial issues that demand answers.

Two significant issues confronted over 2 ½ weeks and Greene couldn’t be trusted on either occasion to address them with the necessary urgency and sober-mindedness. She had to act like a child. She grabbed headlines. Oversight and accountability played second fiddle to her incessant need for self-serving fundraising. She and others of her ilk are failed lawmakers and should be voted out of office.

Does anyone think she would behave like this if cameras weren’t present?

Get the cameras out of Congress so Americans can get some much-needed oversight and accountability.

It should happen sooner, not later.