With the exception of roughly a six-month period, I’ve been an Independent. To be blunt, I don’t like political parties any more than some of our Founding Fathers did. George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson all warned against the dangers of factionalism. Today, their fears are realized in the Republican Party’s behavior in Congress, where loyalty to party over country has become the norm. From voting in lockstep on harmful legislation to abandoning oversight and surrendering constitutional prerogatives, the GOP has chosen self-preservation over public service.
GOP Identity Crisis and the Departure from Founding Principles
Political parties don’t represent the common good. They represent the loudest voices and the most powerful actors within their ranks; those who can compel loyalty, suppress dissent and punish deviation. The Republican Party today, especially its Congressional wing, exemplifies this descent into self-preserving tribalism. Their legislative behavior is not guided by conscience, compassion, or principle, but by fear, ambition and blind allegiance to Trump. They have abandoned the oath they swore to defend the Constitution and serve the American people. Instead, they legislate to maintain the status and ego-satisfying perks that come with their Congressional seats.
Legislative Maneuvers and Constitutional Evasion in the 119th Congress
Just look at the current term.
In July 2025, House Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), a sprawling package that slashed Medicaid, gutted food assistance and handed retroactive tax breaks to the wealthy—all while adding $3.3 trillion to the deficit. Only two Republicans broke ranks. Leadership held the vote open for hours, pressuring members until they fell in line. Dissent wasn’t just discouraged. It would have been career suicide. They knew the bill would harm millions. They passed it anyway.
Or consider their complete abandonment of Congressional oversight. Trump fired 18 Inspectors General without warning. Republicans didn’t blink. They stood by as Elon Musk was handed access to Treasury systems and USAID was dismantled by executive fiat. These actions trampled the separation of powers and Republicans allowed it, not out of ignorance but out of calculated self-interest. Challenging Trump risks retribution. Better to protect their seat than the public trust.
Then came the Epstein files. Faced with bipartisan calls for transparency, Speaker Mike Johnson refused to allow a vote on releasing the records. In a stunning display of Republican Party loyalty over country, House Republicans fled D.C. early, cutting the session short to avoid accountability. Some tried to force a vote. Leadership stonewalled. Even in the face of potential crimes against children and elite exploitation, they chose silence. That’s not only cowardice. It’s complicity.
They also shut down the House Rules Committee to block Epstein-related amendments, effectively grinding legislative business to a halt. Meanwhile, Trump continues to sidestep Congress, unilaterally directing aid and rewriting immigration policy. Republicans barely object. Their prerogatives are not being stolen. They’re being surrendered.
This isn’t governance. It’s performance. It’s a party hollowed out by fear and hollowed out of moral integrity. Paid protester narratives, scapegoating dissent, weaponizing loyalty tests – these are not the tools of principled leaders. They are the tactics of those who have traded civic duty for personal gain.
The country doesn’t need more loyalists. It needs representatives. People who vote with conscience, speak with integrity and legislate with compassion. That standard is not utopian. It is the minimum we should expect from those who hold office in our name.