When Congress weakens, its decisions reverberate far beyond Washington, with Scottish exporters and communities among those paying the price, warns Ian Houston.

Several years ago, I sat with two of my teenage children in the stately office of the U.S. Senate President pro tempore, third in the presidential line of succession following the Vice President and the Speaker of the House.

The Senator at the time, Daniel Inouye, had fought bravely in the Second World War in Italy and France alongside my uncle. A fire crackled in the hearth as he spoke of his experiences and the solemn duties he carried. He had received many honours and decorations earned through sacrifice, including the loss of his arm. I admired him deeply.

Listening to him speak in those warm surroundings, with my sons beside me, I was reminded of the significance of the Congress he served. My Glaswegian and Leamington family could never have imagined such a moment would one day be ours as an immigrant family.

As a person who once worked in the U.S. Congress, I have long admired and revered the bodies of the Senate and House of Representatives, from their histories, to the architecture of the Capitol itself, and to the purpose behind why they exist and were created.

In the West End stillness, I found Scotland’s greatest light: kindness

How........

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