Well, it’s that time of the year again and the words “government shutdown” are all over the news. Congress is unable to agree on funding the U.S. government as we approach the September 30th deadline. The Legislative Branch has a big leadership problem, and they are not leading with purpose. Bill George said that, “Purpose defines the unique gifts people bring to leadership challenges, through which they can align others with their purposes in order to create a positive impact.”

Congress is full of talented people. The Pew Research Center published an article on February 2, 2023, indicating that “In the 118th Congress, 94% of representatives and all but one senator hold at least a bachelor’s degree.” So this should be pretty easy to do since we have some pretty smart people in Congress, at least on paper. I’m also assuming that each member of Congress is an expert on finances and that their home budgets are perfect and balanced each year, and like Dave Ramsey says, “they are debt-free except for their home.” A little sarcasm because I’m sure they are not debt-free and their home budgets are a mess.

All of this is to say that it is understandable that Congress can’t agree on a budget and fund the U.S. government because, in reality, they don’t know how to do it and lack the leadership skills to get this done.

Historian Zachary Shore wrote an article published on Medium titled “The Spirit of Sputnik”. He says, “And the greatest source of national strength is an educated populace.” He then went on to say, “Above all, educated citizens elect thoughtful leaders who can guide a nation wisely.” We need to do better and elect capable leaders who can work together to pass legislation to meet the needs of our nation. This is unacceptable, and going through this cycle every year is ridiculous. Maybe this will change if a law is passed, and members of Congress don’t get paid during a government shutdown. Of course, this is not going to happen because Congress does not want to suffer like the rest of us.

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