Following Tuesday’s election, Democrats control the House of Representatives, Republicans control the Senate, and Donald Trump is still in the White House.

So begins the 116th Congress, the era of gridlock.

Perhaps the House will work jointly with the Senate, and both together will work cooperatively with the President. Perhaps . . . although history demonstrates otherwise.

If history repeats itself, nothing will get done legally in Washington, at least for the coming two years.

Some will bemoan this fact, but is it really so bad?

If Congress fails to enact laws the president will sign, We the People are the primary beneficiaries.

Hip, hip, hooray! 

Congress’ attempts to control and manage our lives will come to a grinding halt. How can that be bad?

They already spend more money than actually exists, so let’s let them alone to contend with each other and see what happens. They will come together every few months to pretend they care about the government and the economy to pass a continuing resolution to spend more money they do not have.

If the House and Senate cannot play well together, and if the House wastes its time and our money issuing subpoenas and investigating what many call “fake news” they will stay out of our lives, at least temporarily, won’t they?

Is this not a benefit to all of society?

Let’s take this time and get some actual work done. Let’s keep building our economy, let’s save a few dollars, let’s enjoy our communities, our neighbors, our families.

Let’s forget about Washington because now that the election is over, Washington has forgotten about us!

There is, however, a downside of which we need to beware and possibly fear. Congressional inaction often leads to illegal executive action, as we experienced with the Obama Administration. For example,  Obama made illegal recess appointments and enacted overreaching immigration permissions (DACA) because he said Congress had failed to act, so he needed to.

Unfortunately, this is not how the Constitution works.

Regardless who is president, most executive action is illegal.

In his press conference Wednesday, President Trump suggested he would take executive action when he deemed it necessary due to the failure of our elected legislatures to do their jobs.

The executive branch should NEVER legislate, but Congress has allowed it and our past president made it such a habit that is is now considered a legitimate course of action for our current president.

We must actively monitor the actions of the president to make sure his actions are legal and hold him accountable when they are not.

So, while Congressional gridlock may be a good thing for the nation, it opens the door to illegal executive action.

Beware and pay attention!