Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson dead at 93

Not many politicians who pass away make the pages of this particular publication, but I would have been remiss if I had not posted a report on Alan Simpson.

Simpson is from the old guard, a time when politicians actually tried to represent their constituents and work across the aisle to create legislation that was not so heavily weighted to one side.

He’s Gone

Word came down early Friday that Simpson has passed at the age of 93.

Reports had surfaced last year that the former Republican Senator had taken a bad fall and injured his hip.

According to the reports I saw on his death, it was related to complications from that injury.

Needless to say, the outpouring of affection for the man ran through the weekend, as Republicans and Democrats alike were saddened to hear the news.

A Fiscal Hawk

Simpson always had his eyes on the budget, known as a fiscal hawk, reminiscent of the role that Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has taken in the current Senate.

He was also realistic about the state of Congress, having once stated, “We have two political parties in this country, the Stupid Party and the Evil Party. I belong to the Stupid Party.”

As I noted above, this man was respected on both sides of the aisle. He had been appointed by former President Barack Obama to lead a deficit-reduction task force to find $4 trillion.

Joe Biden awarded Simpson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.

Long, Distinguished Career

Simpson started his career in the Wyoming State House in 1965, and remained there for a dozen years before moving up.

He ran for and won the Senate election to represent Wyoming in 1978, taking office in January 1979, remaining seated until January 1997. During his time in office, he served as the Senate Whip for the Republican Party.

After leaving the Senate, as noted above, he was appointed to be the co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in 2010, a move many are now calling the forefather of DOGE.

Rest in peace, sir, and thank you for your service to this country. We can only hope that one day Congress gets back to the civility you exemplified in Congress rather than being a bunch of showboats trying to drive income through podcasts and social media. We are now in an age where Congress is more about political theater than it is in representing We the People, and that is simply unacceptable.