‘Most Members of Congress Don’t Think Anymore’

Rolling Stone: Why has Congress gradually abdicated this role in terms of war powers?

Amash: It’s consistent with rank-and-file members abdicating almost their entire role. On ordinary legislative matters, most members of Congress don’t think anymore. They just follow whatever they’re told by their leadership. This is just a more extreme version of that. There is not a strong incentive — at least not a strong political incentive — to take a position. They prefer to have the president decide these matters and then they can later say, “Yeah, I supported it,” or, “No, I opposed it,” without actually having to take a vote and go on the record. It prevents them from ever having to take responsibility for whatever happens.

I think a lot of members of Congress are used to that lifestyle and they like it. They don’t want responsibility. They want the job, not the responsibility.

Rolling Stone: This is a bipartisan problem. President Obama had his own assassination list. How can the parties say they’re committed to the Constitution and let this drift happen?

Amash: I don’t think they have a strong political incentive to address it. You also need a president who’s really interested in addressing it. It’s easy to just blame Congress and say, “These presidents have no responsibility. What are they supposed to do when Congress doesn’t act?” But it would be very easy as president to set it before Congress that you don’t think these authorizations are appropriate or valid. If you don’t get appropriate authorization, you don’t feel you have the power to engage in particular conflicts. It would be easy for a president to say that and force Congress’ hand. The president’s responsible just like Congress.

Rolling Stone: Did you take President Trump either seriously or literally when he campaigned on reining in military spending or endless wars?

Amash: I was always skeptical but hopeful. I never thought that President Trump really believed deeply, frankly, in any particular policy. It was pretty clear his positions were dependent on how it benefits him. I thought maybe he would find it personally beneficial to end some of these wars.

But the opposite has happened. If anything, he has expanded endless wars. There are more troops in the Middle East now. Military spending has increased. Drone strikes are up despite what people think. I keep hearing Republicans talking about Obama’s drone strikes, but drone strikes under Trump are at a higher rate.
He hasn’t been good on war issues. He hasn’t been anti-war or even cautious about war. The people who have been constantly parading that — that Trump is some kind of hero who will end wars — they’re either deceiving themselves at this point or they know better.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/justin-amash-iran-impeachment-congress-937760/?fbclid=IwAR3BazsHcMQpNZ647Ls9YBNfWuq200L3hcAe17e_R5ykMhFrPTnWoKBVAQ0

Amash is the most honest, straightforward person in DC. He tells like it is, much to the chagrin of the useless politicians that dominate both parties.