Aug
Idle Congress
This is not a post attacking the Democrats in Congress, although they are certainly in control. It is not celebrating the Republicans. It is simply to point out that that, according to a WSJ article, this Congress has been the most idle in history. At least when it came to passing actual bills.
Barring a burst of legislative activity after Labor Day, this group of 535 men and women will have accomplished a rare feat. In two decades of record keeping, no sitting Congress has passed fewer public laws at this point in the session — 294 so far — than this one. That’s not to say they’ve been idle. On the flip side, no Congress in the same 20 years has been so prolific when it comes to proposing resolutions — more than 1,900, according to a tally by the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense.
With the mostly symbolic measures, Congress has saluted such milestones as the Idaho Potato Commission’s 70th anniversary and recognized soil as an “essential natural resource.” As legislation on gasoline prices, tax fixes and predatory lending languish, Congress has designated May 5-9 as National Substitute Teacher Recognition Week, and set July 28 as the Day of the American Cowboy.
I don’t know if this is good or bad. The good thing is, the less bills they pass, the less they can mess up. However, I still don’t understand why Congress is wasting their time worrying about steroids and potatoes when there are other real issues to discuss.
Congress, which won’t return to session until September, has yet to pass any 2009 appropriations bills, even though funding the federal budget is its official function. Before leaving town for summer break in August, lawmakers failed to establish August as Heat Stroke Awareness Month, blowing the deadline to make it official.
When Democrats won control of Congress in 2006, Republicans were eager to tar them as “do nothing,” an echo of Democrat Harry Truman’s successful 1948 presidential campaign during which he railed against the “Do Nothing Congress” led by Republicans.
“The Democrats in charge of this Congress have been heavy on fluff and light on substance,” says Republican leader Rep. John Boehner of Ohio. “Resolutions are fine but why aren’t we also passing legislation to lower gas prices? What about health-care reform and runaway entitlement spending?”
Nancy Pelosi said Congress wouldn’t rest until the troops were home. They haven’t worked more than a three day week since then. Politicians suck.
August 20th, 2008 at 6:47 am