It is not a joke that the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., is often called “the Swamp”. The Swamp is not a funny name, like the one given to the main characters’ homes in Richard Hooker’s novel “M*A*S*H”. It’s a derogatory term and a well-deserved one. Reps from different states have a common agenda and go to the Capitol. Then, amazingly, they are drawn into a tar pit that is not merely mud but resembles the eastern LaBrea tarpits.
Mary Peltola is a native Alaskan.
Rep. Peltola ran a campaign in 2022 with Alaska’s senior senator Lisa Murkowski (R – AK), which was not a union ticket, but at least an effort to portray both as moderates. Since taking office, Peltola as Alaska’s Representative at large has voted 95 percent with the Biden Administration’s agenda.
It’s even more disturbing that she talks up Alaskan energy and then works against it.
The Biden administration’s treatment of Alaska’s energy industry is a gross understatement. They have shut down tracts of land for development through a series of executive orders and regulations. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and our junior senator Dan Sullivan (R – AK) are the experts on this issue:
Alaska may have had more sanctions imposed on our great state than Iran. The Biden Administration is waging an economic war on the 49th state. Graphic supplied by @SenDanSullivan pic.twitter.com/dwhmLE9wJQ
— Governor Mike Dunleavy (@GovDunleavy) March 7, 2024
Rep. Peltola has also withdrawn her support for H.R. Rep. Peltola also pulled her support for H.R. These drilling projects could have brought hundreds, if not thousands, of well-paying jobs, to the North Slope.
Mary Peltola, Alaskan? She’s voting against Alaska. She is absorbed in the tarpit, voting with Biden’s administration on almost all pieces of legislation. She talks a lot about supporting Alaskan energy while quietly working alongside other Congressional Democrats to stymie the development. She is blinded by the bright lights of Washington, like many other small-state politicians. Perhaps she should spend more time back in Bethel.
This is just one example. Many more are available from all over the country. In an apocryphal story from the Clinton era, a wag who was familiar with the Clinton administration said “Power corrupts and absolute power is pretty cool.” It’s not cool to be on the receiving side of power.
Congressmen and Senators remain active even after being caught, unlike the animals trapped in LaBrea’s tar pits. This pit is not a swamp that needs to be drained. It must be exposed and made visible to all citizens and voters. There are members of Congress in every state who never leave the pit except to run for reelection. This is not an Alaskan problem, but an American one. Only more engagement from their constituents can solve the problem. Visit their town halls. When they return to their districts, ask them questions. Vote them out if necessary.