This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

It's primary election day. If you're one of the Utahns in Congress, it's pretty much a day like any other.

Only one, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, has a primary opponent, and it's not regarded as a serious threat. The others, outside of 4th District Rep. Mia Love, appear to have little to worry about even in November. Even Sen. Mike Lee, once considered vulnerable, appears on his way to an easy second-term win.

So the question becomes, what are our congressional representatives doing with all their political capital? Or to put it another way, what have they done to make us give them more years there? If legislating solutions to our problems is the measure of success, Congress falls well short by any measure.

While there are deep disagreements in this country, there also are many things upon which a majority agrees. They want an immigration solution that respects law without dismissing the contributions of those who came here illegally. They want gun control that reduces firepower without infringing on anyone's liberty. They want tax policy where people of means pay their fair share without hurting business investment. And they want a longterm solution for the continued viability of Medicare and Social Security so they may honor their commitments to those who came before them.

Of course, if Congress is screwed up, it's more than the Utahns' fault. And if a corner is to be turned, it will be more than Utahns turning it. But they can't just wait for someone else to start turning it.

Time is not on our side. In this age of inaction, there comes the belief that even bad action is better than no action. The United Kingdom's Brexit vote to leave the European Union was driven by frustration, not logic, and now many who voted to leave are struggling to understand what they did and why they did it.

And, of course, the American Brexit is a guy who is the ultimate example of talk first/think later. But even if Donald Trump burns the Republican house down on his way to a November beating, there is every reason to believe the down-ticket Utahns in the party of Trump still will be elected. And if they are, they'll still face the dynamic that gave us Trump: frustration with political inaction.

Ultimately, someone needs to blink — and take a little risk — so something can get done. Any move toward compromise will bring a shelling from special interests. If they just want to keep getting elected, our representatives can keep doing what they're doing. It seems to work just fine for them if the mission is simply persisting in office.

But if they find themselves wanting to make this great nation even better, they need to move out of their comfort zone and embrace the chance to make progress. If they don't, we really ought to stop sending them.