Congress is 'Dysfunctional,' Moran and Connolly Say

Northern Virginia Congressmen Gerry Connolly (D-11th) and Jim Moran (D-8th) said Friday Congress is "dysfunctional" just a few hours before President Obama signed an order for the sequester. 

"It's a dysfunctional Congress," said Moran, who spoke with Patch Friday. "I think it ill-serves the people of the United States today. It's very frustrating, very disappointing. It's an institution that is not serving its functions." 

President Obama ordered the sequester just after 8:30 p.m. Friday, triggering spending cuts that were meant as a negative consequence for Congress for failing to come to an agreement on the budget. 

"It is the consequence of a dysfunctional Congress," Connolly said. "It's the consequence of ideological dynamics that have trumped common sense, compromise and cooperation."

More on sequestration in Arlington and Northern Virginia: 

• Crystal City Restaurant Owners 'Concerned' About Sequestration 
• McDonnell: Sequester Could Force Virginia Into Recession
• Sequestration in Northern Virginia: Bracing for Impact

Next week, the Republican-led House is expected to pass the Defense and Military Construction appropriations bills at the level they were passed for the last two years ($71.7 billion). 

"In other words, you're increasing defense at the expense of the non-defense discretionary programs," said Moran, "but the majority of House Republicans will pass it and send it to the Democratic Senate; the Senate will either agree with that strategy, or if they don't accept it we'll come to another government shutdown on March 27. If they do accept it, it will go to the White House Office of Management and Budget to make the cuts.

"Basically, the strategy is to leave it to the Democrats or the White House to make the cuts," Moran said. "The Republicans will pass the bills at the pre-sequester level so that they are not held accountable for the cuts. So, that's the plan. It's all a matter of a verbal accountability from the various interest groups for the cuts that are going to happen." 

Connolly hopes that Congress will reach a compromise March 27, when it faces a resolution to fund the federal government.  

"That will give us another opportunity, hopefully to come to some sort of reasonable compromise that will address some of the worst aspects of sequestration," said Connolly. "There is a theory that maybe sequestration kicks in for a few months, and once the effects are felt, that members of Congress will come together and try to fix this. I hope that's true, but I wish that weren't necessary."