Congress Had the Gavel, Then Lost the Receipt
Congressional power is not omnipotence, but it is not decorative trim either. In 2021–2022, Democrats held the House and Senate, with Senate control resting on caucus math. In 2023–2024, Republicans held the House while Democrats held the Senate. Each arrangement had procedural limits, internal divisions, and enough fine print to fill a courthouse basement. Each also offered opportunities to set agendas, negotiate, investigate, fund, block, or advance priorities. That is called responsibility, not a magic wand.
The recurring performance comes afterward, when every former majority describes itself as a tenant who inherited the broken sink. The other party supposedly had the keys, the budget, the votes, and possibly the missing instruction manual. Ordinary people are left paying the maintenance bill while politicians conduct a forensic audit of everyone else’s decisions. Congress treats responsibility like a library card: everybody had access, nobody admits what they checked out, and the overdue notice is blamed on the building.