In the wake of the new congress convening in January, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) called for more transparent, in-touch behavior from elected officials today.
“We need to bridge the ever-growing chasm between the American people and their elected leaders – a rift that has been exacerbated by the (Obama) administration’s flagrant executive overreach, a loss of opportunity for middle-class Americans and a lack of transparency that pervades the federal government,” Rodgers wrote in The Ripon Society Forum. “But it hasn’t always been this way. And it certainly doesn’t need to stay this way. We can restore the public’s trust by fostering relationships, advancing 21st-century solutions, and incorporating technology and American ingenuity into public policy.”
Rodgers cited the all-time lows for trust in the government by the American populous, as reported by a Gallup poll: 28 percent trust in the legislative branch, 43 percent trust in the executive.
The solution starts by building relationships, Rodgers said.
“As I join my colleagues in the House and our new Republican majority in the Senate, I am confident we can restore trust among the American people by embracing a culture of innovation and ingenuity on Capitol Hill,” she wrote. “Technology allows us to maximize communication, accessibility and transparency between elected leaders and those we represent.”