Fmr. Congressman Allen West: Leadership Should Be Decided by Elections, Not Coronations

The Constitution was never designed, nor does it enumerate de facto dictatorial powers for congressional leadership to bypass critical national functions like true legislative appropriations.

Naples, FL — Accountability, independent thinking, and, yes, sometimes challenge to the status quo are fundamental components of our Constitutional Republic. These activities should be embraced and celebrated as a vital part of liberty, not demonized.

Former Congressman Allen West notes, “This past week, the American people were given a very important lesson about constitutional governance, a vital one for our Republic. There can be no doubt that one of the most dysfunctional legislative bodies in these United States of America is the U.S. Congress. Be proud that you live in this nation where we can have open debate about constitutional governance by our elected representatives.”

West continues, “Twenty Republican-elect members of the 118th Congress decided to not be a part of a coronation. They decided to pursue principles and policies that would restore constitutional governance and eradicate the dysfunction of the legislative body. They were assailed, attacked, and disparaged as enemies of the state, called Taliban Twenty, referred to as terrorists, and denigrated as the “Raucous Caucus.” All of this by political, media, and establishment elites who wanted the continuation of the status quo. When I was in Congress a decade ago, the debt of the United States was about $11 trillion, and we were concerned. Today our national debt is at $31 trillion. Our economy is redlining.”

Thankfully, these brave Representatives managed to achieve some positive change in how Congress operates, implementing significant rule changes leading to balanced budget initiatives and empowering rank-and-file representatives of the people. The Constitution was never designed, nor does it enumerate de facto dictatorial powers for congressional leadership to bypass critical national functions like true legislative appropriations.

American Constitutional Rights Union Action Fund is a non-partisan, non-profit public policy organization dedicated to defending all Americans’ constitutionally protected civil rights.