US legislative chaos undermines its democracy

Editor's note: Below is an authorized excerpt from a commentary by "Chairman Rabbit", a popular Chinese independent commentator.

On July 4, as Americans celebrated Independence Day, President Donald Trump signed into law what he calls the "One Big Beautiful Bill", a piece of legislation that encapsulates many of the systemic problems plaguing US governance. The bill's passage, by the narrowest of margins in both chambers of Congress, offers a revealing case study in how the US' legislative machinery has evolved from a deliberative body into a vehicle for partisan warfare and interest-group bargaining.

The OBBB, formally H.R.1, was passed by the House of Representatives by just four votes (218-214) and squeaked through the Senate only after Vice-President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote.