America Didn’t Elect 535 Lawyers
A Five-Minute Commentary | November 5, 2026
Well, America, we caught the car.
After two years of Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress, voters have delivered a political earthquake. Democrats have swept into control of the House and Senate.
And now comes the really interesting part.
What the hell are they going to do with it?
Because I’ve got one very simple question for Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, and every newly elected member of Congress:
ARE YOU GOING TO LEGISLATE OR ARE YOU GOING TO LITIGATE?
Seriously.
Are we about to witness the beginning of a new era of American government?
Or are we simply changing the cast of characters in Washington’s longest-running soap opera?
Because I’ve got news for you.
The American people didn’t vote for another two years of congressional hearings, finger-pointing, subpoenas, television appearances, and politicians screaming at one another.
At least, I certainly hope that’s not all they expect.
We’ve already got enough courtroom dramas on television.
We don’t need to turn the United States Capitol into another episode of Law & Order.
DUN DUN!
Now, before somebody misunderstands me, let me make something perfectly clear.
If crimes were committed, investigate them.
If public money was stolen or misused, follow it.
If government officials violated the law, hold them accountable.
Nobody gets a free pass because they happen to occupy the White House.
That’s not revenge. That’s the rule of law.
But here’s where I draw the line.
Accountability cannot become a substitute for governing.
And that’s exactly what I’m worried about.
Because Washington has developed a remarkable ability to spend enormous amounts of time and money accomplishing absolutely nothing.
Think about it.
We have congressional committees investigating congressional committees.
We have hearings about hearings.
We have politicians demanding investigations into why previous investigations weren’t properly investigated.
At some point, somebody ought to investigate why the hell nobody’s doing any actual work!
And meanwhile, what’s happening outside Washington?
Americans are struggling to afford housing.
Health care costs are consuming family budgets.
Young people are wondering whether they’ll ever be able to buy a home.
Our infrastructure needs attention.
Our education system needs serious investment.
And our national debt keeps growing.
These problems don’t disappear because somebody gets subpoenaed.
They don’t disappear because a politician delivers a fiery speech on television.
And they certainly don’t disappear because somebody posts another clever insult on social media.
They require legislation.
Actual legislation.
The kind where people sit down, identify a problem, examine the evidence, negotiate solutions, and pass laws.
Remember that?
It’s what Congress was designed to do.
And here’s something else I’d like to suggest.
Maybe this is an opportunity to do something considerably more ambitious than simply reversing the policies of the previous administration.
Maybe it’s time to reinvent the way our government works.
Why not?
We’ve been operating under essentially the same political framework for generations, while the world around us has changed beyond recognition.
Artificial intelligence is transforming our economy.
Technology is changing how we communicate, work, learn, and conduct business.
And yet Washington still operates like a dysfunctional homeowners association arguing over who gets to use the swimming pool.
We have an opportunity to rethink the entire system.
Let’s start with taxation.
Why does our tax code have to be so complicated that ordinary Americans need professional assistance just to understand what they owe?
Why can’t we examine a simpler, more transparent system that raises the revenue government needs without creating thousands of pages of exceptions, loopholes, and special treatment?
Let’s examine campaign finance.
Why do we tolerate a political system where enormous amounts of money flow through political action committees, outside organizations, and wealthy donors?
What reforms could reduce the influence of money while protecting constitutional freedoms?
Let’s talk about congressional term limits.
Let’s talk about government transparency.
Let’s talk about making federal agencies more efficient.
Let’s talk about health care, education, housing, infrastructure, and the future of work.
And here’s a radical idea.
Let’s actually ask the American people what they want.
Not just during an election.
Not just when somebody wants a campaign contribution.
All the time.
I’ve spent months talking to ordinary people in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Young people. Older people. Students. Workers. Business owners. People from every imaginable background.
And you know what I’ve discovered?
People have ideas.
Good ideas.
They’re thoughtful. They’re concerned. They’re interested in their communities and their country.
But too often, they feel like nobody in government is listening.
And perhaps that’s the biggest opportunity facing this new Congress.
Not simply to change who holds power.
But to change the relationship between the people and the government that represents them.
Now, I’m not naive.
Donald Trump is still president.
He has veto power.
Republicans still have leverage in the Senate.
And Democrats themselves disagree on plenty of important issues.
Nobody should pretend that passing major legislation will suddenly become easy.
But difficulty is not an excuse for inaction.
Put serious proposals on the table.
Hold public hearings where experts and ordinary citizens can contribute.
Invite Republicans to participate.
Negotiate where compromise is possible.
And when agreement proves impossible, explain the differences clearly so voters can make informed decisions.
That’s how representative government is supposed to function.
And while we’re at it, here’s something I’d love to see.
Imagine Congress establishing a bipartisan commission with one mission:
Design a more effective, transparent, accountable federal government for the 21st century.
Give it a deadline.
Give it measurable objectives.
Invite economists, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs, constitutional scholars, and ordinary citizens to participate.
Then publish the recommendations and make Congress vote on them.
No endless studies that disappear into filing cabinets.
No reports that collect dust.
Actual proposals.
Actual debate.
Actual decisions.
Because here’s what I believe.
The American people are capable of extraordinary things when they’re given the opportunity to participate.
We’ve seen it throughout our history.
We built the interstate highway system.
We put human beings on the moon.
We created technologies that transformed civilization.
And we accomplished those things because people were willing to imagine something that didn’t exist and then do the work necessary to make it happen.
That’s the spirit I’d like to see return to Washington.
Not another endless cycle of political retaliation.
Not another two years of Republicans blaming Democrats and Democrats blaming Republicans.
We’ve been watching that movie for decades.
And frankly, the sequel sucks.
So here’s my message to the incoming Congress.
Congratulations.
You won.
Enjoy the celebration.
Take your pictures.
Give your speeches.
Shake hands.
Have a glass of champagne.
But when January arrives, remember something.
Winning an election is not an accomplishment in governing.
It’s an opportunity to govern.
And what you do with that opportunity is what matters.
Investigate wrongdoing where the evidence warrants it.
Protect the Constitution.
Restore Congress’s authority.
But above all, get to work on the problems facing the American people.
Because two years from now, I don’t want to hear politicians bragging about how many subpoenas they issued.
I want to hear what they accomplished.
What changed?
What improved?
What became more affordable?
What became more efficient?
What opportunities did we create for the next generation?
Those are the questions that matter.
So, Speaker Jeffries, Senator Schumer, and every member of the incoming Congress, here’s my challenge.
Are you going to legislate?
Or are you going to litigate?
Because the American people have given you an opportunity.
And opportunities don’t last forever.
We caught the car.
Now let’s figure out how to drive the damn thing.
And for God’s sake, let’s make sure somebody knows where we’re going.
John Eagleton
Eagle Crown Foundation
Greensboro, North Carolina
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