As we head into the New Year, the approval ratings of the U.S. Congress are still at historic lows. After bottoming out at 12% last February, Congressional approval is now hovering at a sorry 17%.

The timeless wit and political wisdom of Will Rogers explains why:

“Congress is so strange; a man gets up to speak and says nothing, nobody listens, and then everybody disagrees.”

“We all joke about Congress, but we can’t improve on them. Have you noticed that no matter who we elect, he is just as bad as the one he replaces?”

“When Congress makes a joke it’s a law, and when they make a law, it’s a joke.”

Rogers — America’s first great Mister Rogers — spoke these words in the 1920s and 1930s, but they’re just as true now. When voters gave Republicans the majority in the Senate in November, they voted for change. They want an end to massive bills that are packed with ridiculous spending.

Regrettably, according to Rogers, there’s nothing new about the shenanigans of Congress:

“We cuss Congress, and we joke about ’em, but they are all good fellows at heart, and if they wasn’t in Congress, why, they would be doing something else against us that might be even worse.”

“Never blame a legislative body for not doing something. When they do nothing, they don’t hurt anybody. When they do something is when they become dangerous.”

Rogers saved some of his best barbs for the Senate, the allegedly august body of distinguished minds that is supposed to snuff out bad ideas and bills the House passes and advance good ones. But even during Rogers’ time, things hardly ever turned out that way:

“About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation.”

“Senators are a never-ending source of amusement, amazement and discouragement.”

“The Senate just sits and waits till they find out what the president wants, so they know how to vote against him.”

That’s what is most agitating about our current Congress. Too many members on both sides of the aisle are narrow-minded, partisan and looking to advance their self-interests.

The average American doesn’t like that. The average American knows that the country is facing giant challenges — entitlement programs that are going broke faster than we can fund them and massive $2 trillion federal budget deficits that must be tamed.

The average American wants these problems to be solved by people who are interested in the good of their country — not Republicans and Democrats interested in the good of their parties.

It’s no wonder we are disgusted. But according to Rogers, that’s nothing new either:

“It’s getting so if a man wants to stand well socially, he can’t afford to be seen with either the Democrats or the Republicans.”

“There is something about a Republican that you can only stand him just so long; and on the other hand, there is something about a Democrat that you can’t stand him quite that long.”

We can only hope our 2025 Congress begins to comprehend what the American people have been trying to tell it — that it needs to get in step with the wisdom and will of the people.

Because, as the wise and witty Mr. Rogers said, “Our country is not where it is today on account of any one man. It’s here on account of the real common sense of the Big Normal Majority.”

See Tom Purcell’s syndicated column, humor books and funny videos featuring his dog, Thurber, at TomPurcell.com. Email him at Tom@TomPurcell.com.