With the dawning of 2007, the Democrats are set to take control of both houses of Congress... maybe. There's still the small matter of the senior Senator from South Dakota that adds a little drama to what would otherwise be a post-climatic transfer of power. Certainly, the soon to be in charge Democrats, led by Nancy Pelosi, are trying to ride the celebratory coattails of the now two month old Election Day victory, but how can you, in reality, effect excitement over such murky issues as lobby and legislative reform?
Regardless, the American public must now navigate a multitude of promises made about the first 100 hours of the legislature. A hike in the minimum wage, ethics reform, and stem cell research all top the agenda for work to be done in the House. Now, keep in mind, the House Democrats have at least three major obstacles to fulfilling any promised plan of action. First, Blue Dog Democrats make up a large portion of the Democratic majority. Most of the issues promised for debate and legislation go against the Blue Dog agenda, and with so many moderates, the only way these issues will see the light of day is in a carefully and thoughtfully written form. They will of necessity be unlike many laws (both state and federal) we have seen passed lately, laws that are hasty reactions to "emergency" issues, among them laws in immigration reform, definitions of private institutions (i.e. marriage) and compromises over interrogation techniques. But moderate stem cell research proposals? What will that look like?
Secondly, with such a slim margin of control in the Senate, bills passed on the other side of the capital will doubtless be incredibly different from the versions written by House Democrats. This is likely why ethics reform is the pivotal issue for the first 100 hours, there is no need for a Senate counterpart, all that is required is a change to House rules. Simple. But how will other bills clear the other chamber? I keep returning to this question when I hear Rep. Pelosi making her many self-assured speeches.
Finally, President Bush continues to call for bi-partisan cooperation. Funny, he called for that very thing when assuming office in 2001, but then proceeded to define "cooperation" as "Democrats agreeing with me and my Republican majority while I pursue a neo-conservative agenda that benefits primarily the wealthy and wealthier". If you don't believe me, we can argue the merits of the tax-code, the structure of No Child Left Behind, and the lack of variety among contracts for defense and the rebuilding of Iraq. I simply don't believe the President's endorsement of bi-partisan cooperation is genuine, and will more than likely prove to be the greatest hurdle to the Congressional Democratic majority. I am doubtful we will see much done over this next year, because even if the President chooses to sign some things into law, such as a raise in the minimum wage, he still can fall back on the power of signing statements, helping to modify the new laws as he sees fit and yet still claiming that he is championing bi-partisan cooperation. To tell the truth, with the American Bar Association already condemning the use of signing statements, the Democrats might want to consider adding Executive oversight to their issue agenda.
These, among others, are three major obstacles to the moderately ambitious proposals of the new House Majority. Though I intended this post to be a conversation starter, it seems to have ended up a rant. Sorry about that. But I wrote this post out of a desire to hear some thoughts from our Readers and Writers about what is to come in the next few months of legislation. Can a raise in the minimum wage actually help the American worker if it doesn't protect the American small business owner? Will a reform of House ethics be as far-reaching as has been proposed, or are will we spend the next two years hearing about loopholes being exploited? What are some of the predictions for the first 100 hours of Speaker Pelosi's reign? These are the questions I am considering as the new year rolls on, what are y'all thinking about?
Let me end the post with a Garrison Keillor closing: Be well, do good work and keep in touch.
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