I have heard from a large number of Iowans convinced that
our republic is effectively lost with the election of President Biden.
This is like the “Flight 93 Election” theory in the 2016
election where some conservatives felt that if Clinton won, the country would
be lost for good. So, like the flight 93 passengers who rushed the cockpit in a
last ditch attempt to avert a catastrophic outcome, they argued that any
alternative to Clinton was justified.
The left then felt that same way after Trump won.
When President Trump was elected, I received an
outpouring of messages expressing a truly startling degree of fear and anguish.
It’s as if we had just elected an evil king or dictator.
Understanding human nature, the Framers of our
Constitution set up a system of separation of powers knowing it was not safe to
just trust in the character of individual public officials.
The president is supposed to “see that the laws be
faithfully executed,” not to be some all-powerful elected king.
The American presidency shouldn’t be, and was never
supposed to be, so important and powerful that Americans ought to feel their entire
future is at stake every four years.
Yet, many Americans do feel that way. And, it isn’t all just
a misunderstanding. Presidential power has grown beyond its proper bounds.
That’s because, over time, Congress has delegated too
much authority, piece by piece, in countless bills, and failed to take it back.
During the Trump administration, I worked to reclaim some
delegated powers over tariffs, emergency declarations and regulations, but
lacked sufficient bipartisan support.
I have no illusions that a Democrat Congress will limit
President Biden’s power, but perhaps we could agree to reclaim powers for
Congress with some future effective date.
So much focus on one person, and one election every four
years, is not healthy.
Restoring the proper balance between the presidency and
Congress can help restore some balance to our civic discourse.
