Opinion Today: 12 departing lawmakers tell us what Congress is really like

"I thought about bringing in an exorcist."

View in browser|nytimes.com April 30, 2024 By Amanda Su Opinion Video Fellow Exit interviews are never fun and rarely illuminating. They're normally conducted in poorly lit meeting rooms and dominated by blank stares. But this spring, Opinion Video decided to bring them to a different setting: the nation's capital. We traveled to Washington and took on the role of human resources for 12 departing lawmakers. They're among the dozens of Congress members leaving their seats this year, and more announcements are expected to come. Some of them are retiring after decades spent in public office. Others cited the institution's untenable dysfunction as part of their reason for calling it quits. I asked every lawmaker the same eight questions — diving into congressional salaries, political corruption, the frustrations of the job and its perks — so that they could help us assess the state of Congress and offer insights on how to improve it. It turns out that members of Congress don't feel much better about their workplace than many Americans. (The institution's public approval rating dropped to 13 percent last year, the lowest since 2017.) There's the routine threat of government shutdowns. An unprecedented speaker ouster and weekslong speaker votes. Constant political grandstanding. Partisan gridlock over urgent issues like immigration and foreign aid. But the interviews we conducted also revealed that there are lawmakers in our federal government trying to get things done even under the least optimal circumstances — and they're doing so often at a great sacrifice to their family lives and their sanity. Hear the Congress members in their own words: 12 Departing Lawmakers Tell Us What Congress Is Really Like These are their exit interviews. ADVERTISEMENT Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Guest Essay How Michigan Ended Minority Rule Though the notion would have been laughable a decade ago, Michigan is one promising national model for how state-level activists can retake power. By Ari Berman More From Opinion Guest Essay That Strange Piece of Metal Origami Embodies All Elon Musk's Flaws The Cybertruck looks edgy, that's for sure, but it has serious problems. By Elizabeth Spiers Jamelle Bouie The Price We Pay for Having Upper-Class Legislators What explains the almost total absence of working-class people from elected positions in state government? By Jamelle Bouie Paul Krugman Trump Is Flirting With Quack Economics Beware strongmen who engage in magical thinking. By Paul Krugman Peter Coy Class of 2024, It's Not in Your Head: The Job Market Is Tough College-level jobs still pay a lot more overall, but not every grad can get one. By Peter Coy The Three Shows I'm Pulling for in the Tony Award Nominations Three musicals bring the art of songw By Patrick Healy Guest Essay My Late-in-Life Friendship With Helen Vendler She was a poet who didn't write poetry, but felt it like a poet. By Roger Rosenblatt ADVERTISEMENT A Mother's Advocacy Might Have Kept Her Hostage Son Alive The world is aware of her campaign. Could Hamas be? By Sarah Wildman The Ezra Klein Show Is Green Growth Possible? The environmental data scientist Hannah Ritchie argues that climate technology is increasingly catching up to the world's enormous need for clean energy. 1 HR 3 MIN LISTEN Bing Guan for The New York Times letters The Campus Protests: Voices From Columbia, Barnard and Beyond Sampling the outpouring of responses to the continuing protests on college campuses. Also: The Trump criminal cases; Trump, Pence and abortion. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. ADVERTISEMENT If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving Opinion Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018