Only one person seemed to have listened to Pope Francis when he spoke last week before Congress. He was Speaker of the House John Boehner.
As we all know, Mr. Boehner resigned the past Friday morning as Speaker and from his 8th District Ohio seat in Congress. He could no longer cope with the disarray and dysfunction in the Republican Conference in the House of Representatives. He could no longer deal effectively with the far right in his Republican Party. Constant confrontation, not compromise, had become the ideal sought by roughly three dozen legislators intent on opposing, not governing.
In fairness, far left devotees reside in the Democratic Party. They are determined to block any changes in social programs, unyielding in their positions despite the crying need for fiscal responsibility.
The search for the general good evades both parties.
Back to the Pope and Mr. Boehner, a Catholic who for so long, apparently, wanted to bring the Holy Father to a powerful and visible perch in the people’s house in Congress. Mr. Boehner seemingly decided after spending time with the world’s leading spiritual figure to vacate his position and the institution he loved. The thought of resigning was not new to Speaker Boehner; he just needed a little inspiration, and that came his way after spending a precious few minutes with Pope Francis.
The Pope talked publicly about the crippling polarization that grips and paralyzes the U.S. Congress. He pointed to important matters left dormant, such as immigration. His soft voice bespoke civility, gentility and humility. The undercurrent to his remarks was a call to compromise. Only Mr. Boehner took it to heart, so it seemed.
Compromise not only is a dirty word in our Nation’s capital, but it represents a concept inimical to the extremes in both parties. It represents finding a middle ground, a quest to attain a result for the general good of American citizens. It represents reconciliation and negotiation. It represents civil discourse.
Our federal legislature eschews moderation. What an unproductive shame.
I am passionate about moderation—because it brings results normally helpful to our citizenry, our body public. It requires hard, frustrating work—yes, even compromise—to produce legislation for which citizens pay taxes to gain hopefully reasonable, albeit imperfect outcomes.
I have a sense that the far right condemns and avoids moderation at all costs, considering it outside their mode of political behavior, as they feel satisfied to shut down a government that produces little of value in their minds. Since government doesn’t work for them and presumably their constituents in their like-minded districts, why not shut it down?
Consequences from the chaos created by a government shutdown seem irrelevant. Boehner’s opponents so distrust the mainstream Republicans, not to speak of the Obama Administration and their Democratic colleagues in Congress.
Mr. Boehner rightly decided to step down, almost sacrificially, to enable him in the short time before he steps down at the end of October to enlist Democrats in preventing a government shutdown. He understands the consequences for the Republican Party as well as the nation when Congress shuts off funding for vital services.
When I speak of consequences, I think mainly about the economic impact thrust upon federal workers and contractors, not to speak of the volatile stock market and public concern about our fiscal structure. As we still are recovering from the Great Recession, a shutdown only exacerbates the fear and insecurity felt by our citizens.
I also fear the international reaction in our interdependent world. Our position as a stable economy is torn in shreds. Why trust us? Why invest in us? Why respect us?
At the same time I fret about economic security, I worry about our national security. A shutdown affects our military readiness; while we might exclude our military members from loss of pay and funding, we don’t necessarily afford the same protection to the civilian workforce that supports our uniformed services.
Pope Francis talked about civility, about concern for others, about caring about the poor and homeless and about immigrants seeking safety.
Mr. Boehner listened. Did others?
Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. In retirement, Howard serves on the boards of several non-profits on the Eastern Shore, Annapolis and Philadelphia.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.