The Stuntmen of Washington

Everything you need to know about how Washington works nowadays is contained in the mini-drama that is Congressman Mark Pocan's bill to do away with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.  The opening act featured Pocan making the rounds on the news networks promising to draft the measure--attacking ICE for their detaining illegal immigrants across the country, raiding employers that were hiring undocumented workers and taking children from illegals trying to enter the country outside of proper checkpoints.

Earlier this week in Act Two, Pocan held a press conference here in Wisconsin to "unveil" the bill--and to again attack ICE, claiming that President Trump is using it as a "weapon" against people of color and questioning its very purpose.  As expected, Pocan's Dane County supporters backed his effort and called him "brave" to take on the issue.  A few other ultra-liberal members of Congress announced they would co-sponsor Pocan's bill.

But then yesterday, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy created a major plot twist in Act Three when he announced that he would bring Pocan's bill to the floor for a vote--and all hell broke loose.  Immediately, Democrats decried McCarthy's promise--calling it a "political stunt".  Supporters of the bill started dropping like flies, and in another plot twist last night, Pocan himself said he would vote against his own bill.  So who was really pulling the "political stunt"?

One of the benefits to being in the minority in Congress or the Legislature is that you can introduce measures like Pocan's that you know won't fix a darn thing--but that will be automatically blocked by the majority party.  That way in your next campaign, you can tell your supporters "I introduced legislation to address this issue, but that evil other party never allowed it to come up for a vote!"  It's the perfect way to "do something" while really doing nothing.

If Pocan's bill were to actually come to the floor for a vote, Democrats would be in an impossible position--at least in how it will play with their base.  Vote for it and moderates in your district will question your commitment to enforcing the laws that are on the books.  Vote against it and your liberal supporters will question why you didn't "do something" to end the practice of arresting illegal immigrants and separating families at the border.

As the story of the "abolish ICE" movement proves, Washington today is nothing but theatrics created to appeal to certain audiences--and everybody does their own stunts.