Congress can do better — and so can Georgia

Five years ago, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution offered me the chance to write a weekly essay from Capitol Hill. I have enjoyed every minute of it.

But all good things must come to an end, and this will be my final column.

What’s changed over the past five years in Congress? In many ways, not very much.

Let’s start with the federal budget, which is still a mess.

Republicans talk about spending cuts but mainly focus on tax cuts and big increases in defense spending. Democrats like raising taxes, but also like spending. Combine all that and you understand why the national debt will soon top $39 trillion.

There is a simple answer: Spend less and bring in more tax revenue. But neither party likes that combination.

One other failure on Capitol Hill should be noted. There is still no Farm Bill. It used to be that developing major farm policy legislation was a solid bipartisan exercise for lawmakers. Congress hasn’t produced a Farm Bill since 2018.

What also hasn’t changed in recent years? Donald Trump. He is still making unsupported claims of election fraud since his loss in 2020.

Not only is Trump still searching for evidence of fraud, but he is simultaneously trying to concentrate election power in Washington and taking it from the states.

Whatever happened to states’ rights? The Old South of my youth would never have tolerated this.

Let’s move to another hot-button issue. Democrats still don’t seem to understand what went wrong on illegal immigration under President Joe Biden.

The excesses of the Trump immigration raids in Minneapolis have rightly drawn condemnation — but they don’t erase how the Biden administration failed to control the southern border.

If Democrats win back Congress and/or the White House, what will they do differently? It’s a question the party has yet to address.

Let me close with a note about Georgia.

I started covering Georgia politics in 1989 when I was hired as the Washington reporter for WSB Radio.

I have met so many wonderful people from all over the state. But the message that Georgia sends at the U.S. Capitol is out of date.

The year 2027 will mark 100 years since Georgia sent a statue of Confederate Vice President Alexander Hamilton Stephens to Capitol Hill.