Congress's Dysfunction Creates Constitutional Crisis, Not Executive Overreach
Source: Chris Bray. "America Slides Into A Congress-Shaped Hole, And Gorsuch Helps." February 20, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that everyone is focused on criticizing Trump for overstepping his bounds, but the real problem is that Congress doesn't do its job. Instead of making clear laws and solving big problems, Congress passes the buck to other agencies and wastes time on political stunts while major issues go unaddressed.
Conclusion
The real problem in American governance is not executive overreach but Congress's chronic failure to fulfill its constitutional lawmaking duties, creating a void that forces other branches to act
Premises
- Congress routinely passes vague laws that delegate actual policymaking to administrative agencies rather than making clear legislative decisions
- Major national problems like chronic disease epidemics, deindustrialization, and trade imbalances have persisted for decades without meaningful congressional action
- When Congress does act, members focus on trivial political theater rather than substantive policy solutions
- The Supreme Court correctly ruled that tariff authority belongs to Congress, but Congress has no plan or intention to address trade issues themselves
- Long-serving members of Congress like Senator Patty Murray cannot point to concrete achievements on major issues despite decades in office
Assumptions
- The constitutional system works best when each branch fulfills its designated role
- Congress has the primary responsibility for major policy decisions affecting American citizens
- Executive actions on tariffs and other issues are responses to congressional inaction rather than power grabs
- Voters expect Congress to solve major national problems, not just criticize other branches