Top 3 Issues Americans Want Solved - Why Congress Refuses to Act
Across political parties, income levels, and regions, the American people are remarkably united on what they want their government to do.
Polling from Pew Research, Gallup, Ipsos, and AP-NORC shows three clear priorities:
1. Improve the economy and reduce inflation so that living in the U.S. is affordable again.
2. Reduce the influence of money in politics and end the political dysfunction paralyzing Washington.
3. Pass meaningful immigration reform, including a fair and more expedient path to citizenship.
These aren’t radical demands. They’re basic expectations of a functioning democracy. Yet decade after decade, Congress has failed to deliver. Why? Because the very system that elects them has been hijacked by money.
This isn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It’s about the corrupting power of money that’s rigged the system against ordinary Americans.
Why Congress Won’t Tackle the Big Problems
In a healthy democracy, lawmakers would be accountable only to voters. But in today’s America, getting elected — and staying in office — costs millions. That reality forces members of Congress to spend enormous amounts of time courting donors instead of solving problems.
In 2024, the numbers tell the story:
A typical House incumbent needed to raise over $700,000 just to remain competitive.
A typical Senate incumbent needed over $2.2 million.
Most of that money didn’t come from ordinary Americans — it came from political action committees (PACs), lobbyists, billionaires, and their political parties. These donors don’t give out of charity. They expect access, influence, and favorable treatment in return.
The Pay-to-Play Pipeline
Here’s how the cycle works:
Money Flows In — Lobbyists, corporations, and wealthy individuals contribute heavily to candidates who they believe will protect their interests.
Access is Granted — Those donors gain special access to lawmakers — phone calls answered, meetings scheduled, and doors opened.
Legislation is Shaped — In these private conversations, donors can push for special tax breaks, exemptions from regulations, government contracts, or laws that tilt the playing field in their favor.
Public Interest is Ignored — Meanwhile, the priorities of everyday Americans get pushed to the back burner.
This “pay-to-play” dynamic has warped Congress’s priorities away from serving the public good. It’s not that lawmakers can’t address the top three issues Americans care about — it’s that they won’t if it risks upsetting their funding sources.
A System That Makes Lawmakers Richer — While Americans Fall Behind
Serving in Congress has become one of the most financially rewarding “public service” jobs in America — for those in office. Members receive a generous salary, benefits, and lifetime pensions, but that’s just the beginning.
While in office, many members increase their personal wealth through:
Book deals and speaking fees
Stock investments — where they often have insight into industries they regulate
Networking with powerful donors that can lead to lucrative post-Congress careers
In theory, lawmakers are prohibited from insider trading — using nonpublic information to profit in the stock market. But enforcement is weak to nonexistent. Prosecutors must prove that lawmakers knowingly traded on inside information, a nearly impossible standard. To make matters worse, lawmakers “self-report” their trades, and late or incomplete disclosures are rarely punished.
The results are stark:
Between 1984 and 2009, the median net worth of a House member more than doubled, from about $280,000 to $725,000 (excluding home equity).
During that same period, the median wealth of a typical American family fell from $20,500 to $20,000.
By 2020, the median House member’s net worth had reached about $1 million.
This wealth gap is more than just numbers — it’s evidence that the people making our laws are living in an economic reality completely different from the one facing most Americans.
The Public’s Priorities vs. Congress’s Reality
Let’s look at the three biggest issues Americans want solved, and how big money blocks progress:
1. Affordable Living: Improving the Economy & Reducing Inflation
Americans are being squeezed by rising costs for housing, groceries, healthcare, and energy. Yet Congress has been slow to address price gouging, corporate monopolies, and stagnant wages — in large part because many of their largest donors are corporations that benefit from the status quo.
2. Reducing Money’s Grip on Politics
Voters want campaign finance reform, public funding of elections, and stronger ethics laws. But the very people who would have to pass those reforms are the ones benefiting most from the current system.
3. Immigration Reform
Polls show most Americans — across party lines — support a fairer, more efficient immigration system that includes a pathway to citizenship for certain undocumented immigrants. Yet immigration reform has been stalled in Congress for decades, often because both parties use the issue as a political weapon during election season, while donor-driven priorities take center stage.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
When Congress refuses to act on the public’s top priorities, real people suffer:
Families are forced to choose between rent and groceries.
Young adults can’t afford to buy homes.
Businesses struggle to find workers because of outdated immigration policies.
Public trust in government collapses, feeding political polarization and instability.
The result is a vicious cycle — as trust erodes, voters disengage, leaving even more influence in the hands of those with the money to buy it.
Breaking the Cycle
If we want Congress to work for us, not their donors, we have to change the system that rewards inaction on the public’s top priorities. That means:
Publicly funded elections so lawmakers answer to voters, not billionaires.
Strict limits on campaign contributions and closing loopholes that allow dark money to flow into politics.
Enforcement of ethics laws with real consequences for insider trading and conflicts of interest.
Transparency in lobbying so the public knows exactly who is influencing legislation.
The Bottom Line
Americans have been clear about what they want for decades: an economy that works for everyone, a government free from the chokehold of big money, and a fair, functioning immigration system. We don’t have a policy problem — we have a political will problem.
Until we cut the dependency on billionaires, lobbyists, and corporate donations, Congress will keep serving their donors first, and the American people second.
If we want the top three priorities of Americans to become the top three priorities of Congress, we have to take away the one thing standing in the way: the power of money in politics.
America is at a crossroads. Join “Votem All Out”, a movement to end money in politics, restore democracy, and reclaim the American Dream by 2026. Learn how you can support our unique non-partisan campaign to re-empower Congress to finally serve the will of the people and solve today’s major challenges.
Thank you,
William E. Bardwell, Co-Author of Validating Truth in the Era of Misinformation and Fake News.
PS: Next Blog will discuss an in depth discussion of America’s #1 priority, the economy and inflation.
#EndMoneyInPolitics #SaveDemocracy #VotemAllOut
