Examining the Challenges Facing Congress Today
WHO:
CBS News - Carl Hulse stated, "I've spent my career covering the decline of Congress."
CBS News - Sarah Binder described Congress as "diminished in the sense that it has enormous authority under the Constitution."
CBS News - Carl Hulse, chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times, has covered Capitol Hill since the Reagan administration.
CBS News - Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) are mentioned as current members of Congress.
CBS News - Sarah Binder, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, are cited as experts on Congress.
WHAT:
CBS News - President Trump has pressured Congress to overhaul federal voting rules this past week.
CBS News - Lindsey Graham died suddenly this month.
CBS News - Nearly 9 in 10 Americans express unhappiness with Congress.
CBS News - The 119th Congress has passed fewer bills than many of its predecessors.
CBS News - A GOP mega-bill will cut taxes by $4.5 trillion over the next decade.
CBS News - A bipartisan housing bill was recently passed.
CBS News - Congress is noted for a partial government shutdown over funds for homeland security.
CBS News - President Trump has issued over 260 executive orders in his current term.
WHERE:
CBS News - The events discussed are taking place inside the U.S. Capitol.
WHEN:
CBS News - The article mentions that a partial government shutdown occurred recently, but does not specify a date.
CBS News - Lindsey Graham died suddenly this month, but no specific date is provided.
WHY:
CBS News - Carl Hulse noted, "There's just very, very little cooperation between the parties, and you can't make things happen that way."
CBS News - Sarah Binder mentioned, "There's $30 trillion in public debt; Social Security seemingly on the brink if they don't act soon."
CBS News - There is frustration with Congress due to a lack of cooperation between the parties.
CBS News - Critics from both sides want more action on federal spending, whether raising or cutting it.
CBS News - Congress has ceded much of its authority to the president, leading to a sense of marginalization.
HOW:
CBS News - Philip Wallach stated that members of Congress see their job as "supporting the White House when it's their ally there – or fighting against them in various ways when it's the other party that has the presidency."
CBS News - The article discusses how Congress has been bypassed by President Trump on issues like trade and the war with Iran.
CBS News - The legislative branch is described as struggling and marginalized due to an empowered president and partisanship.
(UPDATED July 19, 2026 16:13 UTC)
President Trump has been pushing Congress to make significant changes to federal voting rules, while the political landscape remains tense following the sudden death of Lindsey Graham earlier this month. Carl Hulse highlighted the lack of cooperation between the parties, emphasizing that it's challenging to achieve progress under such circumstances, and Sarah Binder pointed out the urgent need for action given the looming $30 trillion public debt and the precarious state of Social Security. Philip Wallach noted that Congress members often align their efforts with the White House when their party is in power, but they tend to oppose the administration when the other party holds the presidency.
--
(UPDATED July 19, 2026 15:13 UTC)
Nearly 90 percent of Americans are unhappy with Congress, which has passed fewer bills than many of its predecessors, leading to frustration over a lack of cooperation between the parties. Recently, a bipartisan housing bill was passed, but Congress is also grappling with a partial government shutdown over homeland security funding, while President Trump has issued over 260 executive orders in his current term. Experts like Sarah Binder and Philip Wallach highlight that the legislative branch is struggling and feels marginalized, as it has ceded much of its authority to the president on key issues like trade and the war with Iran.