Congress melts down: Members unleash personal attacks after weeks of shutdown drama
In a recent analysis of the current political climate on Capitol Hill, it has become increasingly evident that personal conflicts are overshadowing legislative responsibilities among lawmakers. While Congress did manage to reopen the government after a shutdown, the real action seems to have shifted from policymaking to personal attacks. For instance, the House of Representatives has seen members turning against each other, including attempts to censure fellow lawmakers over past associations and personal conduct. A notable example is the Republican effort to censure Delegate Stacey Plaskett, a non-voting Democratic member from the U.S. Virgin Islands, due to her previous communications with Jeffrey Epstein during the impeachment proceedings against former President Donald Trump. This move, which ultimately failed, highlights how personal vendettas can influence legislative actions, especially among those with a history of political rivalry.
The atmosphere of hostility extends beyond individual censure efforts; it also encompasses broader disputes within and between parties. For example, Rep. Cory Mills, a Republican from Florida, faces potential censure for alleged misconduct, while Rep. Nancy Mace, also a Republican, has called for similar actions against Mills. Additionally, Democrats have expressed outrage over the political maneuvering of retiring Rep. Chuy Garcia, who seemingly arranged for his chief of staff to take over his seat, raising questions about the integrity of the electoral process. With accusations flying and resolutions for censure being prepared, it appears that the focus has shifted from constructive governance to personal grievances, as lawmakers seem more inclined to engage in political skirmishes than to tackle pressing issues facing the nation.
As the 119th Congress progresses, the trend of prioritizing personal politics over pragmatic governance could have significant implications for the legislative process. With members more invested in attacking each other than collaborating on policy, the potential for meaningful legislation diminishes. The holiday season, typically a time for reflection and goodwill, does not seem to be fostering a spirit of cooperation among lawmakers. Instead, the ongoing personal conflicts suggest that the political landscape may only become more contentious as the year unfolds. As Capitol Hill braces for what lies ahead, one thing is clear: the personal stakes have taken precedence over the political, and the repercussions of this shift could resonate far beyond the walls of Congress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DHWxE-FefE
Let’s face it: Politics is personal. And you cannot separate the two on Capitol Hill.
Lawmakers may not have missed legislating
during the government shutdown.
But they sure missed attacking one another.
Yes, both chambers of Congress voted to reopen the government. That’s legislating. There were certainly a few bills of consequence on the House and Senate floors in September before the shutdown.Â
There was a little bit in the Senate, which remained in session during the shutdown. There was the adoption of the measure to
compel the release of the Epstein files.
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But prior to that, one must hustle all the way back to the Senate’s approval of the “big, beautiful bill” in June and the House in early July — plus the plan to defund foreign programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — to find Congress really engaging in legislation of consequence in 2025.Â
So, what has the House of Representatives resorted to since it’s been back in session? Members taking on members. Even fellow lawmakers of their own party.
It’s gotten personal. And you don’t even have to be a voting member of the House to face the wrath of your colleagues.
There was an effort by Republicans to censure the non-voting Democratic member from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Congress, Del. Stacey Plaskett, for exchanging messages with Epstein in preparation for President
Donald Trump
’s first impeachment in 2019.
Trump loyalists in the House would find revenge on Paskett sweeter than Caribbean sugar cane. Plaskett served as one of the House’s impeachment “managers,” prosecuting the House’s second impeachment case of Trump before the Senate in early 2021.
The measure to rebuke Plaskett failed. And, as a result, Democrats refrained from a similar censure effort for Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla.
That said, Democrats and some Republicans want to discipline Mills for two alleged transgressions. Democrats prepped a resolution in September to censure Mills for allegedly harassing and assaulting an ex-girlfriend in Washington, D.C.Â
Mills contends he did nothing wrong.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.,
wants to censure Mills now
. Mills provided a key vote earlier in 2025 to block the censure of Rep.
Ilhan Omar,
D-Minn., over her remarks following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Some lawmakers also want House discipline for Mace after authorities claim she cursed and berated TSA workers and other employees at the Charleston, South Carolina, airport recently. Â
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., is one of the most centrist members in the House. She
prepped a rebuke
of Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Ill., in November.Â
Garcia is retiring at the end of his term in early 2027. He filed for re-election but then decided at the last moment to step aside.Â
The Illinois Democrat cited family-related health reasons and his family’s recent adoption of an 8-year-old boy. However, the only person who apparently knew about the Congressman’s plans was Patty Garcia, his chief of staff.Â
Chuy Garcia is not related to Patty Garcia. However, she filed paperwork to run for the
House seat
with just moments to spare before the deadline. It turns out that Patty Garcia is the only one to file for the seat. That means Patty Garcia is practically a shoo-in for victory in the heavily Democratic seat.Â
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The audacious move by Patty Garcia and Chuy Garcia gave critics fodder to chew on. They believed that the outgoing congressman pre-baked the ballot, delivering a political Walter Payton stiff-arm that blocked anyone else from running except his chief of staff.
Old-style Chicago machine politics haven’t been this brutal in the Windy City since they originally brewed Old Style beer.
Gluesenkamp Perez and others excoriated the sitting congressman, voting 236-183 to sanction him. Including Gluesenkamp Perez, 23 Democrats
voted with all Republicans
to dock Chuy Garcia.
So, it’s likely that voters will elect Patty Garcia as congresswoman-elect in the fall of 2026. But after the vote to sanction her old boss, winds blowing off of Lake Michigan would provide a warmer welcome for Patty Garcia to Capitol Hill when she prospectively takes office in January 2027.
Now there’s a move to sanction Rep. Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick D-Fla., after she was indicted for allegedly stealing $5 million in COVID-related health aid.Â
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., prepped a resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick even though there’s been no trial. Cherfilus-McCormick says the indictment is a sham.
And we haven’t even discussed efforts earlier in 2025 to expel Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., after she was charged with allegedly assaulting ICE agents at a detention center in Newark, New Jersey, in the spring. McIver continues to serve and pleaded not guilty.Â
This may only get worse.
Sens. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.;
Mark Kelly
, D-Ariz.; and Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa;, Chris Deluzio, D-Pa.; Jason Crow, D-Colo.; and Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., faced criticism over a video in which they instructed service members to defy illegal orders.Â
Secretary of War
Pete Hegseth
has now launched an investigation into Kelly and threatened to recall the former astronaut to active duty to face military discipline.
And it’s not just member on member. The president also excoriated his arch-nemesis on the Republican side of the aisle, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., for getting married 16 months after the congressman’s first wife, Rhonda, died.
“Did Thomas Massie, sometimes referred to as Rand Paul Jr., because of the fact that he always votes against the Republican Party, get married already??? Boy, that was quick!” Trump posted to Truth Social in November. “Anyway, have a great life Thomas and (?). His wife will soon find out that she’s stuck with a LOSER!”
It’s now officially the holiday season. And few on Capitol Hill are truly extending tidings of good cheer to their congressional colleagues. It surely can’t get any worse, can it?
Well, we’re not even halfway through the 119th Congress. And after lengthy recesses in July, all of August, a portion of September — and for the House, all of October and some of November — lawmakers are just making up for lost time. The recriminations will keep coming.
Politicians have decided to make it personal. It’s easier to attack one another and score political points than legislate.
It’s not practical politics. Lawmakers just prefer personal politics.
