Did you ever lose something and can’t find it? You look diligently for it, then look again, and still it remains missing. It’s frustrating. That’s the exact feeling I have regarding our federal government right now. Something is missing.

In my search for what that is, I looked up why the federal government was formed and what its main responsibilities are. What I found was exactly as I remembered back in school. The Founding Fathers had survived the Revolutionary War, separating us from the heavy hand of England, and wanted a unified and stable nation. They were determined to create a government with checks and balances so no single branch could become too dominant or overbearing, while establishing a nation of unity and security.

They divided the government into three equal branches: the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches, to prevent tyranny and to protect our individual liberties. Simply put, respectively these three branches were intended to make laws, enforce laws, and interpret laws.

Congress, consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate, would serve as the voice of the people, draft and debate legislation, have the power to fund the government, and have oversight responsibilities over the Executive branch. Aha! That’s it! I found what’s been missing for years!

With 70% of Americans disapproving of Congress’s job performance, it’s clear Congress is not the “voice of the people.” With the partisan warfare with each party entrenched in their own bunkers, it’s clear we are not having meaningful debate or much legislation being agreed on.

Congress’s power to fund the government is being abused so badly it is almost laughable. It’s been 27 years since Congress passed a budget on time and 25 years since they had a balanced budget. As a result of their fiscal insubordination, Congress has put us $37 trillion in debt, a debt that will land in the laps of Americans not even born yet.

Let’s look at their oversight of the Executive branch. One has only to look at the past three months to give Congress a report card. President Trump has signed 124 executive orders while Congress has only had five bills signed into law, clearly the exact opposite of what should be happening. Congress has, over the decades, ceded much of its power and responsibilities to the Executive branch because of its inability to work together to address the nation’s major issues.

So, folks, what’s missing? Congress is missing. Do you remember when we used to put missing children’s pictures on milk cartons? Maybe we should do that with members of Congress. Maybe we, the voters, need to remind our representatives of their priorities, which they have lost and can’t seem to find. The priorities I see missing, like enacting the will of the people, have been lost in their collective quests to gain or regain partisan power, do and say whatever is necessary to get reelected, and the never-ending raising of campaign donations.

So to Congress I would ask, if you are listening, and I know you are not, do you think you could get more done by working together in place of fighting each other? When do you plan on passing a balanced budget and reversing this national and fatal debt spiral? What are you doing to secure the solvency of Social Security and Medicare? Are you planning on reforming our immigration policies that are meaningful and effective in this century instead of the last one? How about tax reform or election reform? Readers, feel free to add any of your national concerns here.

Our three-legged stool of three equal branches is out of balance. The Executive branch is grabbing power they don’t have. The Judicial branch is bent on making law instead of interpreting law, and Congress no longer has even a leg to stand on.

After decades of not living up to its responsibilities, I remain convinced Congress is the one missing in action. My parents had some dear friends who had their only child, a son, “missing in action” during the Korean War. I saw firsthand how, forever, it negatively affected their lives. To Congress, I say, “Do you realize you are doing the exact same thing to many Americans because you have lost your priorities. I seriously doubt you do. If you don’t know where to find them, may I suggest you start by asking your constituents where they are.”

As always, I would like to know what you think. Let me know at gregawtry@awtry.com.