Holding an Agenda Hostage: The GOP Death Grip on the Federal Government
This morning, under the leadership of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan energy bill supported by 59 out of 100 senators, the majority of the House of Representatives, and the American people. Failing to reach the 60 votes needed to move the legislation forward under Senate rules, the Republican minority was once again able to stand in the way of the legislative agenda endorsed by the American people in the 2006 elections. Unflinching in their demand for taxpayer giveaways to Big Oil companies, the Republican minority stymied a bill that proactively combats global warming and seeks to break our country's addiction to foreign oil for a second time.
These obstructionist tactics are nothing new for a Republican Party not thrilled about being placed in the minority by an American electorate fed up with the corruption, cronyism, and incompetence that have come to define their years of control in Congress. The New York Times recently said that the Senate Republicans have a "death grip on the federal government." In less than one year alone, Senate Republicans are very close to breaking the two-year record for the number of filibusters!
As a Member of the chamber on the other side of the Capitol Building, this is extraordinarily frustrating. Earlier this year, the Democratic controlled House of Representatives successfully passed all of the twelve annual appropriations bills that put teachers in the classrooms, police on the streets, provides health care for seniors and veterans, and relief for the victims of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Not to mention, the bills provide resources for Homeland Security, bridge and tunnel safety, and medical research for diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
However, Senate Republicans, once again, are blocking this legislative package simply because President George W. Bush asked them to. Unwilling to compromise, the President and his Republican allies in Congress are threatening to shut down the federal government because a nearly $3 trillion budget is $11 billion over what the President originally requested. This should come as no surprise from a President who, with the support of a handful of his allies in the House of Representatives, once again vetoed the SCHIP bill yesterday, denying heath insurance to 10 million children.
The Republican Party has traditionally had the nickname, G.O.P. After blocking children's health insurance, a critical energy bill, eleven appropriations bills, and a host of other issues on the legislative calendar, it is clear what those three letters stand for: the Grand Obstructionist Party.
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The incompetence and pigheadedness of the Bush team, together with its six-year control of government, has done more harm to our country than anything since the Civil War. Complete recovery, if possible, will take decades. One can imagine future historians writing that the decline and fall of the US began with the Bush Administration.
The Republican Party inflicted this catastrophic presidency on US, maintained and defended it, even after the duplicity and stupidity became obvious, and, despite everything, supports it even now. Clearly, the Party is more concerned with its own cohesion and hegemony than it is with the good of the nation.
Consider the profligacy during the years the Party owned the legislature as well as the presidency, as well as the depletion and fatigue of our military. It is absurd to imagine that the current Republican Party is trustable on either strong defense or financial responsibility.
The Party favors greater control of individual behavior; but it supports leave’em-alone business behavior. For today’s Republicans, that requires a screw-the-people hostility to safety, health, fairness and environmental issues. It requires giving more of the nations income to those who own most of its wealth, while reducing food provided to the indigent. It requires “starving” the treasury while the nation’s infrastructure crumbles; despite the evidence that credit availability, including sound monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, is much more important for business than tax cuts.
Done with care, creating a positive business environment is a worthy project; but the Republican project is different. Their objective is to change the United States from a republic into a plutocracy!
These days, one need not be a Democrat or a Liberal or whatever in order to be anti-Republican. One needs only to be concerned for the future of our nation. We must focus on our worst problem; it’s not Iraq; it's the party, stupid, the Republican Party!
Is this 'democracy' the best government.
I dont think so.
I do not want to hear a single Member of Congress say one more word about "the other party" because when it comes to taking American's freedoms away both the House and the Senate are, on the record, capable of being nearly-unanimous.
Congress is not obstructing things "because the President wants you to." You're obstructing things because you want to. This is criminal.
Representative Slaughter: Your oath of office is to protect and defend the constitution. You were elected to put a stop to the Bush administration's criminality, wars and facism. Stop playing politics here. I do not care whether or not it is not politically expedient, you must begin impeachment hearings NOW. If you fail to do so, I will do work as diligently as possible to have you and your do-nothing colleagues booted from office. We need leadership and action; this is not a game. We are about to lose our country and you are still whining about obstructionism?
Rep. Slaughter:
The only REAL war the U.S. is engaged in is the war between those who want to destroy us as a nation (Bushies & Republican followers) versus the American people and the Democratic MAJORITY in Congress. If the Republican MINORITY can kill legislation with fillibuster threats or Bush can threaten vetoes to strip bills of all substance, why, oh why, won't the Democrats use the process (rules, killing military bills in committee, fillibuster)to fight for us?????????
War is war only if there are TWO sides fighting. If the Dems in Congress won't fight with their entire arsenal, what hope is there for us?
The Republicans are obstructionists? Isn't that like calling the kettle black? They learned this from the previous minority party; namely, yours!
But no matter. The Dem's are not even trying to hold the Rep's feet to the fire. They obstruct? Okay, no compromise, no deal! Quit caving in to a lame duck president who can barely muster support from his own base! If the Dem's continue caving in like they have been they can count on being the 'obstructionist' party again in 2009.
This situation certainly gives the lie to claims that conducting impeachment proceedings would impede progress on other, more important fronts. Have you mentioned that to Nancy and Harry lately?
Rep. Slaughter, the real problem is a weak and complicit Democratic Party in Congress that is not willing to fight for the principles of the American people. Republicans will always be Republicans and do what they can to thwart the best interests of the majority of the American people. The Democratic Party in Congress ALLOWS that to happen.
I really don't care who runs it, democrat, republican, or otherwise, but frankly my money's
on 'otherwise', because I think they need to
pull shift change, there, and like, balance
that budget. Would it stop the Earth in its'
orbit if they just got to the end of the
money for one year and said, 'nope, sorry,
we're running on fumes, here, next month it's
pork and beans, kids'. Probably not, but what
are the ODDS that they'd actually muster up the
gumption to do it? And, as far as the republicans are concerned, well, they can go
ahead and stop calling themselves that, because
TRUE republicans would've called that halt
a long time ago. But, since they're the War
Party GOP, well, party on, Wayne, and that's
exactly what they'll be doing, I would imagine,
that is, until Congress just pulls the plug on
the whole show. With the democrats in majority,
they should basically be able to stop spending,
if they were so inclined, but it just all
seems like this mutual blackmail deal where
one special interest blocks the other UNLESS
they get THEIR cheese-doodle. So, whatever,
not holding my breath for reform, but would
like to see it anyway...t
But, what's this? Chickens coming home to roost?
http://www
WHY are you talking here? DO something!!!!!!!
STOP giving them EVERYTHING they want and sooner or later they'll learn how to compromise.
The only thing democrats are showing republicans is how to get their way. Every time THEY refuse to compromise, say OKAY, NO DEAL!!!!!!!!!
Dear Honorable Rep. Slaughter,
Eloquently expressed. A real tell it as it IS.
I like you style! Agape.
How these democrats keeping getting bullied by a lame duck president with 30% approval rating is beyond me. They try and do what's best for America but of course, the Republicans do their best to block any useful legislation. Remember, it's profit, party, then country for them. And GOP stands for Greedy Old Perverts.
When you take the long view, as this old geezer does, at real history in my time since 1936, you get jaded.
And when you delve into the past, the American myth just falls apart.
It's not a matter of partisanship, it should have been matters of principle, then and now. But no, there's black hats and temporary grey hats -- but no white hats.
It certainly didn't take long for Republicans to get over that whole "filibusters are unconstitutional" thing.
well if this is the prologue, then the epilogue is: Democrats continue to fund corrupt Republicans.
Whats all of this nonsense about Red or Blue anyway. We all know you're plutocrats working for big business and wall street.
Print more money. Devalue the dollar. Put us in debt. Take away our civil liberties. Send us to war. Erode our sovereignty.
Its treasonous! When will ANY one of you so called republicans or democrats raise such a riot on the Hill that it puts YOUR civil liberty on the line? When will ANY one of you oligarchic "representatives" give up YOUR pension plan that I PAY for? How about YOUR medical plan? First cut stock options on wall street?
WHEN WILL A GROUP OF YOU STAND UP AND REALLY UPHOLD THE OATH YOU SWORE TO DEFEND OUR COUNTRY FROM ENEMIES BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC?
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