For the past several days much of the country has watched, and many have mostly ignored, the proceedings of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the United States Senate. The process has been slow, arguments have been long and votes have been divided on party lines. Arguments for and against rules, witnesses and procedures have yielded little light on the subject at hand for the American people.
But one thing has happened that’s worth paying attention to, and it is something that could actually move the country forward in the days and years ahead.
Contrary to popular belief, senators from both parties actually can sit at their desks in the well of the Senate for hours at a time, without their smartphones, and listen to and engage in debate on critical issues.
This isn’t just a cheeky poke at politicians. Sadly, the entire senate — all 100 senators — has not all been present in its chamber for this length of time since 1999 — the last time an impeachment trial was held.
Books, films and classroom lectures romanticize the work of the lawmaker who sits for long hours among colleagues, exchanging thoughts and arguments on their path toward finding the right law for the good of the nation. In truth, with the exception of an occasional all-night budget battle, the Senate chamber is mostly empty.
The chamber functions more like a production studio for members to pontificate or placate their supporters than as a place for elevated dialogue and rigorous debate.
If the cameras pulled back during a senator’s speech on a typical day in Washington, they would reveal the lawmaker speaking to the presiding officer and a few beleaguered Senate pages who have no choice but to sit and listen. Mostly, their words echo in a hollow manner, later to be diced into a social media post or packed into a newsletter for supporters and fundraisers.
The chambers on Capitol Hill were created so duly elected congressmen and women could have a conversation in front of the American people and in the national record, where both sides of any issue or bill could make their case and offer amendments on a particular policy, culminating in a vote that every citizen could see.
Imagine what would happen if the echo of the usually empty chamber was replaced with the sound of real talk — debates on amendments to improve each bill and a steady stream of meaningful votes?
What if members of Congress spent even just three hours a day sitting in their desks? How would their behavior change? Would they still have time for endless meetings with lobbyists? Perhaps not, but how many Americans would truly care if their representatives spent less time with special interests and more time hashing out a better path for the country?
The impeachment trial will march on in the days ahead. But if it yields nothing else, it should serve as proof that lawmakers from both parties are capable of doing the work most Americans expect them to do.