Monday, November 22, 2004
Lowering Ethical standards, Yes...Budget, Security, No!
The majority struggles
I'm guessing that the failure to pass both the omni-bus budget bill and the security reforms are no doubt because that rascal Tom Daschle is still in the Senate. But seriously, the only thing accomplished so far in the lame duck session has been the House's effort to lower the bar on ethics with the whole Tom Delay thing. Come on guys, don't you know you have a revolution to pass?
Two things stand out in the failure to pass the budget. First is that lack of control exerted by the leadership and second is a provision, that has delayed passage, which would have expanded Congressional powers to allow members and staff access to any tax payers records. The later seems to me to be the gross expansion of power that the old GOP would fight tooth and nail against. I guess that's still true as they're holding up passage of the omnibus spending bill until this issue can be resolved, but still I think it reflects a tremendous lack of coordination and discipline that has and will likely plague the majority party into the new Congress. There will be a revolution, so to speak, but it will be much more limited and a bit moderated by the same things that are plaguing the lame duck session.
Budget Bill:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-11-21-budget-bill-extras_x.htm
Passage of Intelligence Bill Called Doubtful
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2475-2004Nov21.html
I'm guessing that the failure to pass both the omni-bus budget bill and the security reforms are no doubt because that rascal Tom Daschle is still in the Senate. But seriously, the only thing accomplished so far in the lame duck session has been the House's effort to lower the bar on ethics with the whole Tom Delay thing. Come on guys, don't you know you have a revolution to pass?
Two things stand out in the failure to pass the budget. First is that lack of control exerted by the leadership and second is a provision, that has delayed passage, which would have expanded Congressional powers to allow members and staff access to any tax payers records. The later seems to me to be the gross expansion of power that the old GOP would fight tooth and nail against. I guess that's still true as they're holding up passage of the omnibus spending bill until this issue can be resolved, but still I think it reflects a tremendous lack of coordination and discipline that has and will likely plague the majority party into the new Congress. There will be a revolution, so to speak, but it will be much more limited and a bit moderated by the same things that are plaguing the lame duck session.
Budget Bill:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-11-21-budget-bill-extras_x.htm
Passage of Intelligence Bill Called Doubtful
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2475-2004Nov21.html
