Posted on 04/07/2006 6:14:52 PM PDT by CrawDaddyCA
Congressional schedule-keepers had planned for a two-week sprint between vacations to produce weighty reforms on immigration, pensions and tax policy. But Friday, at the finish line, all of those measures were missing.
The 16-day Easter break began just the same.
"Most families do spend a little time together over Easter, so I don't think that it's an unusual time to do it," said Senate Democratic Whip Richard Durbin of Illinois. Durbin said he expects more questions from his constituents about the war in Iraq than Congress' schedule.
As for those who wonder why Congress is taking a two-week vacation with such major legislation unfinished, "They've got a point," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
It's not as if nothing happened during the two weeks since Congress' first-ever weeklong vacation for St. Patrick's Day.
Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, announced he was relinquishing his seat under an ethics cloud. And everyone agreed that it's never right to slug a police officer after Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., apologized for doing so.
On legislation, the Senate passed a lobbying and ethics bill that requires lobbyists and lawmakers to be more open about their contacts. Senators said no thank-you to the idea of an independent watchdog policing them, and the idea of giving up use of corporate jets for the price that just plain folks pay for an airline ticket.
The House approved legislation to extend the Higher Education Act for five years, as well as a campaign finance bill that would end unlimited contributions to nonprofit political groups known as 527s. It also passed legislation that would expand sanctions against Sudan because of the genocide occurring in Darfur.
But lawmakers stumbled in the final stretch on big ticket items like tax cuts and whether to spend more or less on health and education programs.
A deal on overhauling immigration law lasted less than 24 hours before slipping away Friday in a development Durbin called "heartbreaking" and Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., described as "tragic."
Legislation assuring millions of baby boomers that the pensions they were promised by employers will be there when they retire was supposed to have been on its way to President Bush. Lawmakers are not even close on that.
"Major things just don't get through here," Durbin said. "It does reflect the election year. It also reflects that we don't do things as often as we should in a bipartisan fashion."
Yeah, 'heartbreaking' and 'tragic' that the American people wern't sold out.
Congress seems to be 'on vacation' more than they are in session. Wish I had a job like that!
>>>>>"Congress 'Sprints' Toward Another Vacation"<<<<<
America breathes a sigh of relief!
TT
They are shameless...they took off from Thanksgiving through Christmas...now they are taking two weeks again? After a big bipartisan announcement that they are "close" on a new immigration bill...what a joke. I think we should demand new candidates for every seat. I am sick of Congress peeing on my leg and telling me that it is raining.
I am in complete agreement! People need to wake up and realize what a joke our government has become.
One more thing, they should each be payed the average wage of the state they represent.
They had a week-long break 3 weeks ago, this is their 2nd break since the long Christmas break!
You should be damn glad they're on vacation. They can't steal your wallet and your freedom while they're away from the Capitol. Maybe instead of an armed revolt, we just form a ring around the city and keep them from going back to work. That may be the best, least harmful solution to keeping these b@$t@rds out of our lives.
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