Myths and Realities of the US Congress: A Mexican Perspective

Rafael Laveaga exemplifies three myths Mexico has created around its relationship with the US Congress. The first myth relates to the degree of amity or animosity of US congressmen toward Mexico. The author concludes that these attitudes depend more on the political interests of US congressmen than the needs and concerns of our own country. The second myth refers to the amount of attention given to Mexico on the Capitol, which tends to vary according to the electoral priorities of US legislators, their lack of interest and knowledge about the issues on the bilateral agenda, and the handling of information, which is controlled in function of issues that represent a threat to the interests of the United States. The third myth concerns the belief that the level of professionalism within the US Congress is attributable to the reelection system. According to the author, while this system goes some way to ensuring the continuity of the legislator’s work, his job is essentially of a political nature, meaning that he does not need to be an expert in his chosen field; hence the importance of staffers, who back legislators and expertly deal with all issues on the legislative agenda. Finally, Laveaga singles out the issues which are currently of greatest interest to US congressmen, such as migration and national security.