Congress continues to sideline meaningful ethics oversight, with lawmakers showing little interest in strengthening or even respecting the chamber's ethics committee. The panel exists on paper but carries little practical weight in daily operations. This dynamic matters because weak internal standards erode public trust in legislative institutions and invite outside influence. The cartoon captures the prevailing attitude that ethics rules are an afterthought rather than a core responsibility.
Two anthropomorphic Republican elephants stand before a large sign listing the SAVE Act and voting restrictions including voter ID, passport, birth certificate, no mail-in ballots, voter roll purges, and limits on early and absentee voting. One elephant points to the list while the other, holding a paper marked POLLS, answers a question about what they are trying to save by replying our butts. The scene comments on Republican support for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act and related measures aimed at requiring proof of citizenship and tightening ballot access.
van Leeuwen satirizes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's unsolicited 2024 peace tour visiting Putin, Zelensky, Trump, and Xi without EU authorization. The cartoon frames Orban as a self-appointed mediator seeking personal relevance. The imagery highlights the absurdity of a minor EU leader playing global statesman.
