Former U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) recently exposed the supposed \u201clegalized corruption\u201d within Congress during his farewell speech in December. Departing from his time as a representative, Phillips took to the House floor to deliver a speech centered around his father\u2019s death in the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n
However, the Minnesota Democrat, who served as the Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, made it a point to call out both sides of the aisle, alleging Democrats and Republicans prioritized their own \u201cself-protection over principles.\u201d He argued that the two-party system should work toward the broader American good instead of going \u201cto war against one another.\u201d<\/p>\n
During part of his speech, Phillips discussed numerous issues, such as campaign financing, political polarization, and selfish motivations among members of Congress. Speaking about those who laid their lives down to defend the United States, he said, \u201cThey didn\u2019t sacrifice their lives for members of Congress to spend 10,000 hours a week begging for campaign dollars used to eviscerate fellow Americans running for office.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cThey didn\u2019t sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. They didn\u2019t sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as 500,000 Americans go bankrupt from MEDICAL DEBT each year \u2013 and twenty-SIX million go without any health coverage at all. They didn\u2019t sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as 50,000 Americans die from gun violence and another 100,000 from overdoses every single year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Further exposing the apparent brokenness within the American political system, Phillips continued, \u201cThey didn\u2019t sacrifice their lives for Congress to do nothing as wealthy industries shower millions of campaign dollars on the very committee members who set the rules for their industries\u2026and then allow each party to collect \u201cdues\u201d from those committee members to fund campaigns.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s legalized corruption!\u201d Phillips said passionately, \u201cAnd it\u2019s unacceptable. My father and one million other Americans didn\u2019t sacrifice their lives for Congress to enable two private corporations, the two major parties, to maintain a virtual monopoly on our democracy. And having paid the ultimate price themselves, they surely didn\u2019t sacrifice their lives for members of Congress to prioritize their own self-protection over their principles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calling on his fellow members of Congress to act with courage in serving the interests of their constituents, he said, \u201cHowever, they did sacrifice their lives because of decisions made in this very room by people just like us. So as I bid farewell, I humbly ask all members of the next Congress to call on your better angels and act with courage \u2013 not cowardice.\u201d<\/p>\n