The Sleeping Congress: When Silence Become Complicity

By Dr. Wil Rodriguez

“The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.”

— Patrick Henry

Introduction: Democracy Is Not a Spectator Sport

Most people don’t see it happening—not because it’s invisible, but because it’s been normalized. We’re witnessing the quiet collapse of one of the most sacred institutions in a functioning democracy: the legislative branch of the United States.

Congress, once regarded as the pulse of representative power and the protector of constitutional balance, now drifts in passive silence. While our country reels from corruption, propaganda, executive overreach, and growing public despair, those entrusted with defending the people’s voice appear either asleep, afraid, or for sale.

This isn’t just political negligence.

It’s constitutional abdication.

It’s moral failure.

And yes—it’s complicity.

The Role of Congress: What They’re Supposed to Be Doing

Let’s be clear: the U.S. Congress is not meant to be a ceremonial body that rubber-stamps executive decisions. According to Article I of the Constitution, Congress holds the power of the purse, the authority to declare war, to impeach, to check the President, and to legislate in favor of the general welfare.

Congress is meant to be:

• A check on executive abuse

• A shield for the Constitution

• A voice for the voiceless

• A guardian of national values

They are not supposed to serve party, profit, or personal ambition—but the People.

So when the President makes reckless decisions, or when federal agencies collapse under corruption or inefficiency, Congress should not be silent. When public services erode, when civil rights are threatened, when foreign actors meddle in our democracy, or when the nation descends into social unrest—Congress should not be complicit.

The Symptoms of Institutional Sleepwalking

What does a “sleeping Congress” look like?

• They fail to hold hearings on major national crises.

• They avoid taking firm stances on constitutional violations.

• They outsource their oversight role to political operatives or the media.

• They ignore whistleblowers and silence dissent.

• They abandon legislation in favor of fundraising or reelection campaigns.

• They rubber-stamp presidential nominees without proper vetting.

• They allow authoritarian rhetoric to become normalized.

• They delay critical votes on protections for healthcare, housing, veterans, and the environment.

The result?

A country governed more by fear, chaos, and corporate interest than by representation, deliberation, or law.

The Legal Perspective: What the Constitution Demands

Our founding documents never envisioned a passive Congress. The Separation of Powers Doctrine exists to avoid the tyranny of one branch overtaking the others. James Madison warned that “ambition must be made to counteract ambition”—but what happens when ambition gives way to cowardice?

When Congress fails to act:

• The War Powers Resolution (1973) becomes meaningless.

• The Emoluments Clause becomes irrelevant.

• The Appropriations Clause is undermined by unchecked executive spending.

• The Oath of Office becomes a hollow ritual.

The oath each member of Congress swears—to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”—is not symbolic. It’s a legal and moral contract with the people.

When they fail to act, they break that contract.

The Cost of Silence

Make no mistake: silence is not neutral. In times of moral crisis, silence becomes endorsement.

• When children are detained in cages and Congress doesn’t intervene: they are complicit.

  
  

• When billions are funneled into military ventures while millions sleep unhoused: they are complicit.

  
  

• When presidential overreach is ignored for party unity: they are complicit.

  
  

• When corporate interests shape public policy and Congress turns away: they are complicit.

  
  

• When educational systems are dismantled, and protections for workers and the environment are stripped: they are complicit.

This is not merely poor leadership—it is institutional betrayal.

The People Are Not Powerless

Here’s the part too many forget: Congress works for us.

We are not the spectators of democracy—we are its owners.

We, the People, must:

• Demand public accountability—not just during elections, but every day.

  
  

• Write, call, and visit our representatives—not to beg, but to remind them who they serve.

  
  

• Educate our communities—not just in political preference, but in civic power.

  
  

• Vote with purpose—not just for party, but for principle.

  
  

• Refuse to normalize dysfunction.

• Organize. Protest. Petition. Raise hell if necessary.

Because if the People sleep too, democracy dies in silence.

Wake Up, Congress. Or We Will Wake You.

To the members of Congress reading this—or avoiding reading this—know this:

Your silence is not neutral. Your inaction is not forgotten. Your title is not immunity.

You were elected to serve, not survive. You were empowered to defend, not disappear.

The seat you occupy is not a throne—it is a trust.

Wake up before it’s too late.

Because if you refuse to speak for the people,

the people will rise and speak for themselves.

A Final Word to the American People

To every reader wondering, “Is this really happening?”—

Yes, it is.

And it’s happening because too many still believe it isn’t.

This is your nation. Your laws. Your voice. Your future.

Do not let it be stolen by the silence of those sworn to protect it.

Democracy is not a gift passed down. It is a choice we renew, a fire we tend, a duty we inherit.

If your representatives won’t fight for you, let them know you’re watching.

Let them feel the weight of your voice.

Let them know: we are awake.