New Year, New Washington

     It’s a new year.  It’s a time for new beginnings, renewed resolutions and new expectations.  Once I finished reading my favorite part of January 1, The Washington Posts’s “In and Out” list (I completely agree with the Kardashian crazy going out), I began my new resolution: blog more.  After a brief hiatus due mostly to college applications and Christmas shopping, Katie’s Capital is back just in time for 2011.

     Along with the parties and college football that roll around with the New Year are government changes in power.  With the beginning of this month Washington has a new mayor as well as a majority Republican House of Representatives.  And this new Congress plans to do more than shoot down health-care legislation; it is ready to make history.  Once they begin their term on January 5, the new House will read aloud the Constitution as a reminder of the principles the American government was founded on, for the first time in American government history.  Each new bill that reaches Congress will have to contain textual backing from the Constitution as well.  It is an interesting approach, though some see these two rules as a Tea-Partyization of Congress.  I think it is a good idea to revisit the original ideas of the founding fathers, but there are also dangers in over-studying a 224-year-old document.

     As every history teacher I have ever had has told me, context is key when studying historical documents.  Much of the principles laid out in the Constitution are still very relevant to how the government runs today.  However, some points, like the right to bear arms during a time when the most dangerous arms were muskets, are more relevant to 200 years ago.  That’s not to say Congress can still interpret and apply these points to today’s society, but I think caution is necessary when listening to and understanding the document.

     Another issue Congress should pay attention to is proof-texting.  Now a bill must contain citations from the Constitution, it is important to keep in mind the document as a whole and the relevance of certain parts.  Attempting to imply meaning to certain items in order to pass a bill could cause issues in the entire law-making process as well as the manner in which Congress interprets the Constitution.  This may be an exaggerated fear, but something to keep in mind nonetheless.

     Change is always associated with this time of year.  And with change people bring new ideas to keep things fresh, trying to avoid being caught in a stagnant state.  These new ideas may work, or they may have no affect at all, but exercising caution in the institution of these changes may be the best idea of them all.