Pernicious: 2. a. Of a thing, action, intent, etc.: causing or likely to cause harm, esp. in a gradual or insidious manner; dangerous, destructive; evil. Also in weakened use: having a harmful influence; undesirable. OED 2d ed. Draft Revision of December 2008.
Example:
Seven of the lawmakers—four not previously known—serve on a defense appropriations subcommittee that divvies up money for Pentagon contractors.
Most of the names and investigative subjects, mentioned in a summary of the ethics committee’s work last July, were known. But the summary—obtained by The Washington Post—shows the widespread scope of preliminary reviews and investigations the panel can have before it at any one time.
If anything, the document rebuts arguments of some watchdog groups that members of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct—the ethics committee—do little to investigate their colleagues.
The document shows the scrutiny involved some 30 members last summer, but it lumps together lawmakers who are subjects of a complete investigation with subpoena powers with those who may simply have asked for a ruling on a proposed trip to be financed by a private sponsor. Full investigations by an investigative subcommittee are announced publicly.
Committee Chairman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and ranking Republican Jo Bonner of Alabama, went further than usual on June 11 by announcing they were examining the conduct of some lawmakers on the defense panel even though no investigative panel was formed.
Then of course there’s cap and tax and the health care debacle. But why end there? There’s No Child Get Ahead, Medicare, Social Security, Cold-Cash Jefferson, Duke Cunningham, etc. Congress has had an insidious and destructive influence on our liberties and our culture — more so than any President or court. It is supposed to be the most powerful branch of government — controlling court jurisdiction and placing reasonable limits on executive authority. Instead — it has farmed out difficult questions to the Courts and delegated great chunks of its authority and oversight function to unelected regulators in the Executive Branch. It doesn’t read its bills, it spends too much time in Washington and not enough time with their constituents and spends entirely too much money. While there are many in the 435 who are sincere and principled public servants, the institution has — on the whole become pernicious over the past 2 centuries. And sadly and tellingly — we only have ourselves to blame.
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