(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . How Russia's Interference in US Elections Has Led to Dysfunction in Congress [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-01-06 Getty Images The Rise of Dysfunction in the United States Congress Today marks the 2-year anniversary of the attack on the Capitol. As we reflect on this day, it is important to recognize that it has not been a smooth road for Congress since then. In fact, as of today, we have yet to elect a new Speaker of the House. This is due to 20 MEGA Republicans refusing to vote for Kevin McCarthy and creating an unprecedented situation in our government. As we enter day three of voting for a Speaker of the House, it is clear that Kevin McCarthy still does not have enough votes to be elected. This is due to the 20 MEGA republicans who are no longer under President Trump’s control, leaving us without a functioning House and raising some serious concerns about what Putin must be thinking as he watches this unfold. The Consequences of a Dysfunctional Congress It has been an eventful week in the House of Representatives, with 10 votes cast to elect the Speaker of the House, and no clear winner in sight. This unprecedented stalemate means that the House is now completely dysfunctional, with no committees sworn in and staffers not receiving paychecks. Worse yet, this behavior only serves to embolden Russia's interference in our elections—and Putin is laughing at us. Let’s take a closer look at why this problem has become so serious. The Impact of Russian Interference It is no secret that Russia has interfered in our elections since 2015-2016, influencing voters and attempting to sway results in their favor. This has been done through various tactics such as cyberattacks, spreading false information, and manipulation of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. However, perhaps most concerning is their ability to create chaos within our own government by creating divisions between parties and inciting violence among citizens. This tactic can be seen most clearly with the current standstill in electing a Speaker of the House. It appears that some Republicans are siding with Trump’s agenda over doing what is best for our nation as a whole - something Putin could only hope for when he first started interfering in our elections. This partisan divide created by Russia’s interference has caused an inability to move forward on many issues that are vital to our nation’s success - from passing legislation to providing relief funds during the pandemic - leaving us stuck with no functioning House of Representatives. The Role of Russia Russia's interference in US politics has been going on since 2015-2016, but it has only become more serious over time as Russian trolls target vulnerable groups such as conspiracy theorists and white supremacists—groups who have been used by Trump and his allies to instigate chaos among American citizens and politicians alike. With 20 MAGA Republicans defying Trump’s wishes during this third day of voting for speaker, Putin must be thinking that his influence is strong enough to cause further disruption within our government bodies—especially when we can't seem to find any sort of resolution ourselves! In addition, this dysfunction will also cause more severe repercussions if it continues much longer - such as staffers not getting paid and committees going unsworn-in due to the lack of progress being made by Congress. This would be disastrous for America and leave us vulnerable to further attacks from both foreign and domestic sources alike. The Need for Action It is time for our government officials to act and get themselves out of this political deadlock they’ve created. We need representatives who are willing to take responsibility for their actions and resolve this situation before it gets any worse—before Russia steps in even further and takes advantage of our vulnerability. We need leaders who will put aside their differences and come together for the betterment of our country instead of allowing foreign powers to play us off against each other for their own gain. The impact of Putin’s attempts at undermining American democracy does not stop there; it also affects our international relationships with other countries. In short, Putin’s interference has caused us to become less trusted abroad as we appear weak and chaotic, unable to make decisions quickly or effectively due to this dysfunction within our own government system. With tensions already high between various countries around the world it would benefit us greatly if we could project strength instead weakness by showing that we can still work together despite political differences here at home. The current state of affairs in the House of Representatives is simply unacceptable; it is dangerous both domestically and internationally, creating vulnerabilities that could easily be exploited by hostile foreign powers like Russia if left unresolved. It is essential that all 435 members come together now to settle on a Speaker of the House so that we can move forward with legislation pertaining to gun control, infrastructure repair, economic relief packages—the list goes on! The fate of America rests upon our ability as citizens to unite under common goals; this will be impossible until we have elected leadership capable (and willing) to make decisions for our country's benefit instead of its detriment. Ultimately, it is clear that Putin's interference has had far-reaching consequences beyond just influencing results at the polls; it has created divisions between political parties which have led us into an unprecedented situation where we cannot even elect a Speaker of the House after 10 votes! We must take action now if we want any hope of getting out from under this dangerous cycle created by Russian interference (which got Trump elected) so that we can begin focusing on things that matter most - like helping out citizens during these trying times or making sure everyone can safely cast their vote in upcoming elections free from any outside influence or attacks. Only then can we truly begin rebuilding trust among all parties involved so that America can move forward again toward a brighter future. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/6/2145736/--How-Russia-s-Interference-in-US-Elections-Has-Led-to-Dysfunction-in-Congress Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/