Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, stand and behold. A brisk arctic wind permeated the very gates of hell Tuesday: Washington actually did something.

This isn’t a partisan piece. Neither an indictment nor an endorsement. Merely an observation that for once, as if by magic, something actually happened in a place where for so long nothing has. For that I would like to eloquently congratulate you, Congress, for your accomplishment. For finally achieving what you had ceased for so long to actually do: anything.

I ask you, Congress, what does it say about you? What does it say about you when the average constituent is so fed up with your politics that your policies become irrelevant? What does it mean when this citizen, at least, is so dissatisfied with the status quo—where the argument becomes more important than the issue—that he is satisfied with simply something, anything, happening?

Congratulations, Congress. On your watch, in the backdrop of your bickering, we have soldiered headlong into the most stifling recession since the great one. We have trudged-on through deserts, and mountains, and poppy fields in wars on two fronts. Seen natural and economic disasters come and loom on our doorsteps, and at our dining room tables.

For us, the budget is as real as the check we stretch to meet it. For us, deficits accrue at 16% annually, and surpluses appreciate at two-and-a-half. For us, there will be no bail-out; no six-figure bonus. For us, inaction is not an option.

So allow me to commend you, Washington, for getting back to work. And allow me to remind you that for many, the task of getting back to work is far more daunting than putting Parliamentary tactics into action. For many, your bitter partisan differences would be inconsequential, were they not the biggest obstacle between some of your citizens and a sustainable future.

And so again, as a nation, we find ourselves at a crossroads. A place where the future looks uncertain, and how we got here, and where to go, become equally difficult to ascertain. Remember that in these moments in history—not necessarily the more stable ones—great things have been done. Great problems have been met with great ideas. Great men have been born of Great Depressions.

Remember that in the long run, regardless of where you stand on the issues, what truly matters is that we somehow work together toward something better. To fix what is broken. To get back to work.

And so, don’t laud yourself Washington. Don’t revel in whatever victories or defeat you’ve claimed. There’s no time for glory speeches or ticker-tape parades. No time for wrangling with the politics of ill will. No time to stand back and ponder your legacy and what this might mean in its scope. America is out of time and patients for politics. It’s time now, to get back to work.

No related posts.