In Defense of Congress

by Fred R. Harris

Created by the Founding Fathers as the people's branch of government, the U.S. Congress has, throughout its history, been held in low regard by the American public. Generally considered to be inefficient, obstructionist, and at times even criminal, the last few years have been especially difficult for the institution and the people elected to serve. Yet, despite recent calls for campaign finance reform and term limits, the Congress remains the greatest and most powerful national legislature in the world, empowered and expected to solve our national problems. In In Defense of Congress, Fred R. Harris takes the view that members of Congress, as individuals, and Congress itself, as an institution, deserve better credit than they are being given. Harris attempts to set the record straight by taking a careful look at the role of individual members and then at the institution as a whole. A former U.S. Senator himself, Harris also provides insightful suggestions for improving Congress in the future.

177 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Fred Roy Harris was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States Senate from 1964 to 1973, representing Oklahoma.
Born in Walters, Oklahoma, Harris was elected to the Oklahoma Senate after graduating from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He ousted the appointed U.S. Senate incumbent J. Howard Edmondson and won a 1964 special election to finish Robert S. Kerr's term, narrowly defeating football coach Bud Wilkinson. Harris strongly supported the Great Society programs and criticized President Lyndon B. Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War. He was reelected in 1966 and declined to seek another term in 1972.
From 1969 to 1970, Harris served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. In the 1968 presidential election, Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey strongly considered him as his running mate. Harris unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972 and 1976. After 1976, he was a professor at the University of New Mexico.