JOHN KIRIAKOU: Actually, Congress is Overdoing It

We hear a lot about the “do-nothing” Congress. But in fact, legislators have been on a spree of criminalizing previously legal behavior.

Like a lot of progressives, I like to criticize the “do-nothing Congress.” The media, too, are fond of talking about how a divided Congress, with the House of Representatives controlled by Democrats and the Senate controlled by Republicans, is unable to pass any meaningful legislation. That’s the very definition of gridlock in Washington.The truth is, however, that the Congress actually does pass a lot of legislation. Much of it is under the radar, and almost all of it criminalizes previously legal behavior.