Congress is not the same, retiring lawmakers say. Can the institution still do its job?

"Partisan Politics Takes Center Stage: Lawmakers Warn of Erosion of Institutional Norms A growing concern is emerging among lawmakers that the way they conduct business is fundamentally changing, with fundraising and attention-seeking becoming the driving forces behind policymaking. As a result, the traditional norms of consensus-building and careful deliberation are giving way to a more polarized and divisive environment. With the institution's constitutional role increasingly at risk of being undermined, legislators are sounding the alarm about the erosion of the very principles that have guided their work for decades. As the pursuit of power and influence takes precedence over the pursuit of the public good, the future of effective governance hangs in the balance."

Legislators say fundraising and attention-getting are eroding norms of policymaking and consensus as the institution cedes its constitutional role.