Act of Congress by Robert G. Kaiser

In the preface to his book "Act of Congress," Robert G. Kaiser, one of the Washington Post's most prominent writers, admitted that Congress was America's least known institution. The author acknowledged that his endeavors to grasp the inner workings of the country's most establishmentarian facility had been unsuccessful. According to the author, people's frustration with parliament derives from a lack of knowledge and awareness on how this important body operates. Following the Great Recession of 2008, Robert Kaiser worked with Congressman Barney Frank and Senator Christopher Dodd to create an eye-opening account of how parliament really functions. Notably, Frank and Dodd played a critical role in drafting and passing the Frank-Dodd bill that was later passed into law in 2010. In his book, Robert Kaiser reveals how members of the Congress are core in formulating legislation and implementing the critical deals. Given Kaiser’s unique yet rare insider access, the author was able to expound on the often covert intricacies of the legislative enterprise. Although Americans are keen to criticize or commend members of Congress for essential laws, they know very little of how parliamentarians conceive, revise, and pass laws. Contrary to popular beliefs of parliament being a house of dedicated individuals whose only goal is to strive towards national interests, there are incidents of incivility and petty politicking that make that further complicate the process of lawmaking. Numerous factors influence the effectiveness or inefficiency of Congress.

The Influential Actors

In 2008, the world experienced the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of 1930. The global economic crisis prompted policy makers in the legislative and executive branches of the American government to explore methods of overhauling how banks conducted their businesses. Although numerous stakeholders had examined how best the world could avoid a financial crisis in future, it was Congressman Barney Frank and Senator Christopher Dodd who played the leading role in changing and passing the critical economic role. Notably, it was Barney Frank who first suggested that Robert Kaiser should write a book about the Great Crash. During a telephone conversation, Barney Frank had said, “your next book should be about this stuff.” Naturally, any law starts with an idea and a proposal. As Robert Kaiser notes, it was President Barrack Obama who proposed reforms in the financial and banking sectors. Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd were both in a position to advance the process. Frank was the Chairman of the House of Finance Service Committee while Dodd was the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. After Dodd introduced the bill, other senators and representatives have the power to stop the process or change details of the law. For instance, as Robert Kaiser notes, Paulson and Bernake had organized a meeting with members of Congress and senators to discuss the bill. Stakeholders had the opportunity to change the bill during meetings, debates, and voting phases.

Source of Power

Naturally, individuals who introduce bills into Congress have diverse powers and position that enable them to spearhead the lawmaking processes. Similarly, multiple factors contributed to Frank and Dodd’s success. Firstly, the men were both chairpersons of two influential committees: the House Financial Services and the Senate Banking Committee. Based on their position, Frank and Dodd commanded a strong following. Frank had served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for eight years while Dodd was an influential member of the Democratic Party. Apart from their political positions, Congressman Barney Frank was brilliant, abrasive; an possessed a great mastery of matters regarding financial reforms. Further, Frank Dodd had over the years nurtured a Senate that worked in on a bipartisan basis, a factor that also enhanced the success of their initiative. Arguably, the duo enjoyed the backing of the other members of Congress who were eager to establish a policy that insulated the American economy from a crisis in future. As Robert Kaiser noted, “the financial crisis had challenged Congress confidence" (Kaiser 4). Unlike in normal occasions where they seemed to control everything, they now appeared to stumble as they experienced the realities of the global financial crisis” (Kaiser 4).

Persons and Issues Represented

Although the primary role of the Congress is to introduce bills and make laws that advance the lives of average Americans, the processes are not always seamless since various congresspersons have various interests to pursue. The nation’s founding persons acknowledged that the Senate was the most important branch of the government and gave it enough powers so that legislatures can serve as the voice of the people in states and federal governments. However, as Robert Kaiser regrets, the current Congress is characterized by incivility and petty politics. Members of the congress seemed to protect their turf with little consideration of national interests. For instance, Paulson had requested members of the Congress to approve millions of dollars for the banks, not to improve the country’s economic situation but to save his friends’ business which was already teetering (Kaiser 8). Also as Frank said, “if there are no compensation plans, I cannot say the bill will pass the House of Representative.” This statement shows that Congress is full of cash-hungry politicians who are only out to full fill their selfish interests. Others are motivated not by money but their permanent partisanship. Nonetheless, Frank and Dodd’s primary purpose was to present a bill that reviewed how the banks worked. Their interests were to lay the foundation for a safer financial system and protect Americans from an economic crisis in future.

Work Cited

Kaiser, Robert G. Act of Congress: How America's Essential Institution Works, and How It Doesn't. Vintage Books, 2014.