Today in Washington, D.C. - Nov 30, 2010 - Lame Duck Continues! Democrats' Priorities Still Out Of Touch
Also, yesterday, the Senate invoked cloture 69-26 on the Harkin substitute amendment to S. 510. The Senate then proceeded this morning to expanded government overreach and reduced individual freedom in America over the food we grow and raise by voting 73-25 to pass S. 510, the food safety and FDA reorganization bill. Prior to final passage, the Senate rejected two motions to suspend the rules to adopt amendments from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK). The first would have instituted an earmark moratorium and the second was his version of a food safety bill. All motions to suspend the rules require 67 votes to be adopted.
The Senate rejected (39-56) a Republican proposal to ban the practice of earmarks, which would have effectively forbidden senators from considering legislation containing earmarks like road and bridge projects, community development funding, grants to local police departments and special-interest tax breaks.
Other actions in the Senate are now delayed until later today as Republican and Democrat leaders meet with President Obama at the White House with the Republicans understanding the position of the American people and Obama pushing his liberal agenda. Republicans will urge President Obama to heed the message sent by the American people earlier this month: cut spending, stop all the tax hikes, and help create jobs now. Positive outcome from this meeting is doubtful. Obama and his key administration officials are clearly rejecting the results of the 2010 elections as a call for a change of direction.
With Congress back from its Thanksgiving break, Democrats once again have an opportunity to prove that they heard the message Americans sent Washington on election day by focusing on the priorities of the American people: helping the economy and preventing a massive tax increase in January. Yet Democrats continue to show that their priorities are strangely out of line.
As Republican Leaders write in The Washington Post today, “Republicans heard the voters loud and clear. They want us to focus on preventing a tax hike on every taxpayer, reining in Washington spending and making it easier for employers to start hiring again.” They point out, “Despite what some Democrats in Congress have suggested, voters did not signal they wanted more cooperation on the Democrats' big-government policies that most Americans oppose. On the contrary, they want both parties to work together on policies that will help create the conditions for private-sector job growth. They want us to stop the spending binge, cut the deficit and send a clear message on taxes and regulations so small businesses can start hiring again.”
But consider the priorities Democrats are acting on this week. The Senate began the week by returning to, and passing, a bill that expands the FDA’s regulatory authorities. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has not announced what the Senate will turn to next, but he’s previously indicated that he wants votes on ending the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and a controversial amnesty bill known as the DREAM Act. But Democrats still have no plan on what to do on the looming tax hike at the end of December.
Meanwhile, the White House seems equally out of touch. In the midst of a diplomatic crisis concerning leaked cables and secret documents and serious issues on the Korean peninsula, President Obama has been pushing ratification of his nuclear weapons treaty with Russia, and prodding Congress on the DREAM Act, while the Pentagon discusses repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
The Lame Duck period is also a dangerous period when members of Congress rejected by their constituents or those retiring opt to vote to advance radical agendas which they know cannot be easily overturned in the new session of Congress once these agendas have been signed into law. And so they will push through as much "garbage" legislation as possible much of which we will not know about until later next year. One agenda that is being pushed is a bill which could lead to abortions for female veterans could come up for debate on the House floor as early as today. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not currently provide abortions and abortions are currently excluded from the VA health benefits package, because abortion is excluded from the scope of "general reproductive health care" that is authorized by P.L. 102-585. But that exclusion does not extend a prohibition to other authorities created by earlier or later legislation, so this bill (H.R. 5953) could lay the groundwork and legal precedent for the VA to provide abortions in the future, according to the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus.
As Leader McConnell observed in a speech on the Senate floor today, “It’s unclear how long our friends across the aisle will continue to resist the message of the election and cling to the liberal wish list that got us a job-killing health care law, a ‘cap-and-trade’ national energy tax, an out-of-control spending spree, million more jobs lost, trillions more in debt, but not a single appropriations bill to fund the government or a bill to prevent the coming tax hikes. With just a few weeks left before the end of the year, they’re still clinging to the wrong priorities — instead of preventing a tax hike, they want to focus on immigration and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell — and, maybe, if there’s time left, see what they can do about jobs and the economy. Indeed, their entire legislative plan for the rest of the lame duck session appears to be to focus on anything except jobs — which is astonishing when you consider the election we’ve just had.”
Tags: US Senate, US House, White House, Washington, D.C., liberals, Food Act, federal spending, government pay freeze To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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