Comment: Why Congress, the 'first branch,' plays second fiddle

By Charlie Hunt / For The Conversation

With Americans having voted on Election Day, those voters weighed in on races for statewide office, local positions and on ballot initiatives with major implications for democracy.

Congress was not on the ballot this November, but it will be in the 2026 midterms. A year from now, Americans in every state and district will get to vote for whom they want representing their interests in Washington.

But right now, Congress isn’t giving the American people much to go on.

As the shutdown of the federal government passes the one-month mark, the U.S. House of Representatives has been in recess for more than 40 days. That’s the longest it’s ever stayed out of town outside of its typical summer recesses or the weeks leading up to their own elections.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-why-congress-the-first-branch-plays-second-fiddle/