Where do we draw the line?

As the Robert Mueller investigation continues to receive recognition throughout the nation and in the media, we notice the almost neutral position that our legislative branch is taking. In the past, Congress has always been keen on intervening when it comes to corruption and ethical dilemmas within a Presidential administration, but with our current unified government, this task is not so easy. Can Congress separate their own ambitions of party unity, in order to ensure national security. While this remedy might not be easy, both parties need to treat the threat of foreign interference as a bipartisan issue, rather than attempting to stay ignorant. The only way that this can happen in a situation, like the government is in now, is by addressing the individual rather than their party, and also if their party takes a larger role.    

Donald Trump is not the only one of our forty-five Presidents to come under investigation when it comes to possible corruption taking place during a Presidential administration. Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, and now Trump, have all faced similar scrutiny over their ethical behavior during their Presidencies. What I find so interesting though is, unlike the three Presidents mentioned prior, Congress had held an almost neutral attitude toward the Robert Mueller investigation, and the risk of Russia’s possible interference with the 2016 election. In the past, Congress has often taking a larger role in calling out the executive branch out on their unethical decisions, forming tribunals in order to get to the truth out of the administrations proceedings. Some of these even leading to the impeachment of a President, such as Nixon and Clinton. The difference that we see now though, is that unlike Nixon, Reagan, and Clinton, President Trump is the only one who is experiencing a unified government in his Presidency. The fact the we currently have both a Republican executive branch and a legislative Republican majority puts a government in a very sticky place.

Out of the three Presidents, the only one who’s situation is similar to Trump’s, is President Ronald Reagan in the Iraq-Contra incident. It wasn’t about another state messing within our democratic system, but the United States messing in another state’s democratic system. In the latter half of his Presidency, Reagan had been supplying a rebel group, formally known as the Contras, with weapons and later with money in order to topple the socialist Nicaraguan government. During this time in Reagan’s Presidency, it was the Democrats that held the majority in the House and the Senate, so when the President had continued to provide “under the table” assistance to the Contras, after Congress had already ruled that Reagan did not have the authority to encourage and assist terrorists to topple a government, it left Congress no other alternative then to put a tribunal together. The President, and those that were also involved, were brought fourth for questioning by Congress. The purpose was to address the ethical issue of supplying terrorist, but also the President’s complete disregard for the law enacted by Congress, that made it clear that he could not do this. Our breech into Nicaragua’s national security caused our Congress to enforce consequences.

The same concern could be said for the current investigation on the unconfirmed Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election, but this time we are facing a potential breech in our own national security. If the Russians were able to have the ability to change our democratic system, then this is something that should be very troubling to both Democrats and Republicans alike. The security of our nation, should be the greatest importance, and party loyalty should I know way “trump” that importance. At the end of the day, we are American’s first, before Republican or Democratic. That’s why this lack of involvement on Congress’ part, party seems to be “trumping” our need to hold power, over the country. I think the only remedy that we could have, is for the Republicans to take on a larger part in a tribunal itself, and separating Trump from being put just put under the Republican political ideology. I think it gives us power as a nation, by dealing with the ethical dilemma, and if Russia was involved in messing with the Democratic system, it calls them out the rest of the world about more solid evidence of their corruption. If Congress tries to avoid addressing the Mueller investigative process, despite Congress’ similar intervention during the Iraq-Contra development, it could be worse for Republicans in the end.