Congress, do your jobs

President Obama’s State of the Union message and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ rebuttal didn’t convince me that 2014 will be greatly different from the previous first five years of Obama’s administration.

Although rhetoric in both speeches seemed somewhat more compliant, I couldn’t help but wonder if both parties intend to get along for me rather than fight for me, as past promises indicate. Our nation doesn’t need people fighting in Washington; we need them to govern for the good of America.

The president mentioned some plans. If people in Congress start getting along, some might work. McMorris Rodgers talked about Republican plans, but never told us what they were. However, we saw evidence of Republican tea party plans during the first Obama administration: The tea party planned to, and did, shut down the government. They planned to and spent four years trying to make Obama a one-term president.

They may plan again to eliminate Obamacare after 46 previous failures to do so. They may shortsightedly plan to again cut taxes so the education of Americans can take another step backward. They may plan to again waste time and taxpayer money. Or they could start doing their job.

James Isabell

Spokane