WASHINGTON — The nation’s pursuit of a more perfect union has long run through Congress, the rough-and-tumble arena where Americans’ biggest conflicts are debated, reshaped and, sometimes, resolved.
While the House and Senate as we know them began meeting in 1789, their role as the people’s branch has been central from the start, channeling the country’s efforts to refine its democracy. From the Bill of Rights to modern fights over taxes, civil rights, and war and peace, Congress has repeatedly defined national life. As one scholar put it, Congress should be the place where Americans learn how to live together.
The process is often messy, and most bills never become law. In recent years, lawmakers have also ceded ground to the executive, particularly during President Donald Trump’s tenure. Even so, voters refresh Congress every two years in midterm elections, preserving its unique place in the system of checks and balances.
Measures that advanced a more perfect union
Built on the cry of no taxation without representation, the early Congress still had to fund the new government. Lawmakers toggled between tariffs and taxes for decades, with the modern income tax taking shape only after a constitutional amendment in the 20th century. Initially set at 1%, income taxes now provide about half of federal revenue, the workhorse of the tax system, according to the Tax Foundation’s Daniel Bunn.
The debate continues. Congress approved broad tax cuts last year that were signed into law, while Trump has promoted a new tariff regime that courts partially blocked.
Reconstruction tested separation of powers after the Civil War. In 1867, Congress enacted Reconstruction measures over President Andrew Johnson’s vetoes, a clash that culminated in his impeachment. A century later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to combat entrenched discrimination and violence against Black Americans.
Those protections are again under pressure. The Supreme Court recently struck down part of the Voting Rights Act, triggering redistricting fights that could erase Black-majority districts, especially in the South. At the same time, as the Trump administration sought to reduce immigration, it asked the Supreme Court to upend the 14th Amendment’s birthright citizenship guarantee. The Court rejected the proposed limits, though litigation continues.
Social insurance stands as another pillar. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called Social Security a patriotic safeguard against poverty in old age when he signed it into law. Three decades later, Congress created Medicare and Medicaid for seniors and people with lower incomes, then expanded coverage further with the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Today, about 75 million receive Social Security, two in five Americans use Medicare or Medicaid, and more than 20 million are enrolled in the ACA.
Efforts to repeal and replace the ACA failed during Trump’s first term. Subsequent tax legislation added work or education requirements for some adult Medicaid beneficiaries, aiming to reduce costs as many people lose coverage. Last fall, Democrats shut down the government in an unsuccessful push to extend expiring ACA subsidies.
War powers have long been split between Congress, which declares war, and the president, who executes it. After Vietnam, lawmakers passed the 1973 War Powers Act, requiring presidents to obtain congressional approval within 60 days of starting hostilities. Despite President Richard Nixon’s veto, Congress overrode it. This year, lawmakers voted multiple times on resolutions to curb Trump’s military actions in Iran and Venezuela and to block strikes on Cuba, though none reached the president’s desk.
Congress also polices its own ranks, setting a tone for public life. The House expelled members for the first time in 1861, removing three who fought for the Confederacy. The Senate later censured Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin at the height of anti-communist fervor. Such punishments have become more frequent, particularly in the House. In 2023, representatives expelled Republican George Santos of New York following damning ethics findings. More recently, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas resigned rather than face potential discipline over personal conduct allegations.
For Hawaiʻi, these national battles shape daily realities, from how federal benefits reach kūpuna to how voting rights and district maps influence representation. However turbulent the path, Congress remains the forum where the nation wrestles with how to become, in fits and starts, a more perfect union.
