{"id":2100484,"date":"2023-11-16T07:08:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T12:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-tensions-draw-comparisons-to-pre-civil-war-polarization\/"},"modified":"2023-11-16T07:12:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T12:12:32","slug":"congressional-tensions-draw-comparisons-to-pre-civil-war-polarization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-tensions-draw-comparisons-to-pre-civil-war-polarization\/","title":{"rendered":"Congressional tensions draw comparisons to pre-Civil War polarization"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcongressional-tensions-draw-comparisons-to-pre-civil-war-polarization%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2100484&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Tensions on Capitol Hill: A Reflection of Divisions in the Republican Party<\/h2>\n<p>Tensions on Capitol Hill exploded this week with several \u200dheated moments, including one incident of alleged physical violence, leading experts to draw comparisons between the polarization in the years preceding the Civil War to current Republican divisions in the country&#8217;s highest\u200d ranks.<\/p>\n<h3>A\u2063 Breakdown of Civility<\/h3>\n<p>Distinguished\u2064 professor of history\u200b at \u2063American University Allan \u2064Lichtman remarked on the recent Capitol Hill quarrels, noting that the heightened\u2062 tensions are &#8220;quite\u2064 remarkable&#8221; given the relatively long history of civility\u200c in\u200c the halls of Congress.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;All of these incidents show a lack\u200d of respect for\u2062 the institution \u2062of Congress,&#8221; said \u200bLichtman.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Lichtman also\u200b noted that the intraparty nature of the conflicts is the most significant difference\u2064 from the violence\u200b of the 1800s, saying that a few have &#8220;involved members of the same political party.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to professor of history at Yale University \u2064Joanne Freeman, who authored\u2063 <i>The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress \u200cand the \u2063Road to Civil War<\/i>, the recent incidents reflect \u2063a &#8220;beyond fractured&#8221; GOP. The tendency to engage, or almost \u200dengage, in violence for party members is a &#8220;testament to the \u2063nature of that \u200bparty,&#8221; she \u2064said.<\/p>\n<h3>Incidents of Violence<\/h3>\n<p>On Tuesday, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was accused of elbowing Rep. Tim \u200cBurchett (R-TN) in \u200bthe kidney.\u200b Burchett had notably been one of the eight Republican lawmakers to vote for McCarthy&#8217;s ousting.\u200b Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) stood up during a committee hearing to physically fight Teamsters President\u2063 Sean O&#8217;Brien, who had previously \u2062challenged him on social media. The two men were only stopped by Sen. Bernie Sanders&#8217;s (I-VT) intervention.<\/p>\n<p>In another show of \u200cvolatility, House Oversight \u2064Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) got\u200d into a\u200b shouting match\u2064 during a hearing later in the day, arguing over his investigation \u200dof President Joe Biden&#8217;s family for \u200ba large loan, among other things,\u200b despite having made a similar loan \u200cto his own\u200b brother.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;You look like a\u200d smurf here just \u200cgoing around and all this stuff,&#8221; Comer shouted during the \u200dexchange.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>A\u200c Reflection of History<\/h3>\n<p>Lichtman explained the incident between\u2062 McCarthy and Burchett exemplified that &#8220;the resentments\u2062 run deep in the Republican Party over the chaos of the\u2062 last several\u200b months with respect to the speakership,&#8221; referring to the former&#8217;s removal after just nine months as\u2064 speaker of the House with \u2063a slim majority.<\/p>\n<p>Her book, published in 2018, details the\u200c significant violence and tension within the halls of Congress\u2063 in the 1800s, which ultimately culminated \u200din the Civil War.\u200c In the book, \u2063Freeman discusses Southerners &#8220;at that time who were pretty \u200bmuch willing to do anything to protect&#8221; what they referred to as the practice of slavery.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;What we&#8217;re seeing \u200cright now among some Republicans on the hill is at least an echo of that,&#8221; Freeman said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>A Growing Proclivity for Violence<\/h3>\n<p>Addressing the almost-altercation, Mullin said Tuesday, \u201cPeople ask me \u2063today\u200b is this becoming of a U.S. senator. I was like, \u2018I\u2019m a guy\u200d from Oklahoma first.\u2019 In Oklahoma, you don\u2019t run your mouth\u2063 like that, and if you do run your\u200c mouth like that, you\u2019re expected \u2064to \u200bbe called out on it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Joshua Huder, a senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute\u2064 at Georgetown University noted that &#8220;the recent frequency is unusual.&#8221; \u200dIn addition to\u2063 the\u200b three events\u2063 on Tuesday, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL)\u2063 made headlines in \u200bJanuary when he \u2063appeared to lunge at Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) during the\u200b lengthy series \u2063of ballots to elect McCarthy speaker of the House. The event may \u200chave been dismissed as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-tensions-draw-comparisons-to-pre-civil-war-polarization\/\" title=\"Congressional tensions draw comparisons to pre-Civil War polarization\">isolated case\u200b due<\/a> to high tensions, \u200bbut\u200b Tuesday&#8217;s rash of threats and\u200d violence has made some reconsider.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;It tracks with decades of \u200ddeclining civility and comity in Congress. It\u2019s become more normal rather than a one-off event we could casually \u2064dismiss,&#8221; Huder said. &#8220;Clearly it\u2019s far\u200c more normal than it has been in several generations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>A\u2063 Unique \u200dProblem \u200cwithin the Republican Party<\/h3>\n<p>Others echoed the sentiment \u200bthat\u200c such a growing proclivity \u2064for violence is a problem somewhat unique \u200dto \u2062the Republican Party, particularly in its higher ranks. George Washington University professor of political management Matthew Dallek\u2064 pointed to \u2063the more hard-line factions of the party, such as the tea party or \u2062the House Freedom Caucus, claiming these groups tend \u200bto &#8220;view any\u200c compromise as really traitorous.&#8221; And, he said, &#8220;those divisions within \u200dthe Republican Party have gotten worse.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This\u200c explains why the\u200b Republican Party has been less \u200bthan functional, she \u2063noted, explaining it \u200clacks\u200b discipline and a sense of shared mission\u2064 among conference members.<\/p>\n<p>Lichtman similarly claimed &#8220;civility has broken down&#8221; specifically within\u2063 the Republican Party.<\/p>\n<h3>A \u2064Bipartisan\u2062 Issue<\/h3>\n<p>However, Jonathan\u200b Turley, a professor at GWU Law School, slammed the &#8220;selective memory that becomes evident in moments like this \u200bone.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to him,\u200b violence isn&#8217;t confined to one \u2062side. &#8220;Our country has been ravaged by violence on both the left and the right for years,&#8221; he explained,\u2063 pointing to examples \u200bsuch as &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-reintroduce-bill-to-limit-transfer-of-military-equipment-to-police\/\" title=\"Democrats reintroduce bill to limit transfer of military equipment to police\">anti-police riots<\/a> in cities\u2062 like Portland \u2063to the Jan. 6 riot in Congress.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Huder \u200dechoed the bipartisan nature of recent violence, saying, &#8220;It\u2019s part of a more general inclination to engage more violent rhetoric or \u2062acts.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>A Reflection of the Nation<\/h3>\n<p>The\u2064 current congressional environment, Freeman said, is representative of\u200b the state \u200bof\u200c the nation, to an extent. &#8220;The fact\u2064 of the\u2064 matter is that \u200bthere&#8217;s a lot of violence and political rhetoric right now, or a lot of violent threats circulating around now in politics,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Several\u200b professors\u2062 also said former President Donald Trump has been \u200ca significant force in increasing the acceptance of \u200dviolence. Lichtman claimed Trump has often &#8220;incited violence, welcomed violence&#8221; \u200cagainst political enemies.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s 2024 presidential campaign did not provide comment to the Washington Examiner.<\/p>\n<p>Lichtman specifically recalled a recent\u200c comment from \u2063Trump in \u200bwhich \u200bhe referred to\u200c his\u200b opponents as &#8220;vermin&#8221; that needed to \u200dbe rooted \u2064out.<\/p>\n<p>Dallek\u200d expressed similar concern over Trump&#8217;s rhetoric and\u200b significant influence, noting he is the far and away front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024. &#8220;We saw on Jan. 6, most dramatically, but \u2064we&#8217;ve seen other instances\u2062 as well of violence over the past few years that the\u2063 political rhetoric of dehumanization has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/austin-bay-reviving-the-iran-deal-is-more-than-another-display-of-chronic-biden-ineptitude-and-weakness\/\" title=\"Austin Bay: Reviving The Iran Deal Is More Than Another Display of Chronic Biden Ineptitude and Weakness\">real world impact<\/a> and that some people take it literally,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<h3>A Populist\u200b Resurgence<\/h3>\n<p>Others, however, believe\u200d the uptick in the acceptance of violence is a byproduct of a \u2064populist resurgence on both \u2062sides of the political spectrum. Trump&#8217;s presidency is similarly considered by\u200c some \u200cto be a byproduct of the populist movement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Populist frustration \u200bhas fueled more aggressive politics \u200dand political styles,&#8221; \u200bHuder \u2064said. \u200bHe added that tension and \u200drhetorical extremes can often be created by such shifts\u200d in political coalitions.<\/p>\n<p>Dallek gave the example of Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT), \u2062who &#8220;body-slammed a reporter. And\u2062 then\u200c he won.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He noted that Gianforte \u200beven &#8220;pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor&#8221; for the\u2062 assault and was still elected.\u200d &#8220;What does that say about the permissibility, about the permissiveness, at least in some\u2064 segments of society,\u200d toward violence?&#8221; he asked.<\/p>\n<p>According to Burchett,\u200c the victim of McCarthy&#8217;s alleged elbowing, &#8220;It&#8217;s just individuals, I would \u2062think.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s personal \u200dresponsibility,&#8221; he\u200d added,\u200b dismissing the idea \u2064of a trend.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2>Republican Party \u2064and the lack of respect for the institution of Congress<\/h2>\n<p><span>  &#8220;t&#8217;s not confined to Congress, and unfortunately, it&#8217;s not\u2062 confined\u200c to one party.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Experts agree that\u200d the tensions on \u200dCapitol Hill\u2064 among Republicans are a reflection of deep divisions within the \u2064party. The recent incidents of\u200c violence and heated arguments highlight\u200d a\u200d lack \u2064of\u2063 respect for the institution of Congress and a growing proclivity for aggression. While violence and division have always been a\u2062 part of American politics, the\u200b frequency and intensity of \u200cthese incidents in recent years\u2063 suggest a worsening situation within the Republican Party specifically.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, the\u200d halls of Congress have been a place of civility and respect, but that seems to be changing. \u2062Allan Lichtman, a professor of \u2063history at American University, describes the \u200crecent tensions as &#8220;quite remarkable&#8221;\u200d considering the long history\u2064 of civility \u2063in Congress. This breakdown of civility is significant because\u200c it \u200creflects a deterioration of \u200bdemocratic norms and further polarization within the Republican Party.<\/p>\n<p>Joanne Freeman, a professor of history at Yale University, \u200cargues that\u2064 the recent incidents reflect a &#8220;beyond fractured&#8221; GOP. The willingness to engage \u2063in or nearly engage in violence within the \u2062party\u2062 speaks\u2063 to\u2062 the nature of the \u2064Republican Party itself. This level of aggression and division is a testament to the deep ideological and political differences that \u200bexist within\u200d the party.<\/p>\n<p>Several incidents\u2062 of violence have recently occurred on Capitol Hill, displaying\u200c the\u2063 growing\u200b tensions \u2063within the Republican Party. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was\u200b accused of elbowing a fellow \u2063Republican, and\u2064 Senator\u2063 Markwayne Mullin almost engaged in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lincoln-project-claims-liz-cheney-could-beat-up-matt-gaetz-with-one-hand-tied-behind-her-back\/\" title=\"Lincoln Project Claims Liz Cheney Could Beat Up Matt Gaetz \u2018With One Hand Tied Behind Her Back\u2019\">physical fight<\/a> with an opponent. These incidents,\u200b along with \u2063heated arguments \u2064and\u200c shouting matches, demonstrate\u2063 the increasing\u2063 volatility within the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tensions on Capitol Hill exploded this week with several heated moments, including one incident of alleged physical violence, leading experts to draw comparisons between the polarization in the years preceding the Civil War to current Republican divisions in the country&#8217;s highest ranks. Distinguished professor of history at American University Allan Lichtman remarked on the recent<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2100485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2100484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2100484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2100484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2100484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2100485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2100484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2100484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2100484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}