Posted on 08/11/2010 7:44:50 AM PDT by IbJensen
At a time when unemployment sits at 9.5 percent and job creation in the private sector has stagnated, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi reconvened members of Congress for an emergency one-day session to vote on a so-called stimulus bill.
Also to be considered was a “No Lame-Duck Session” resolution, offered by Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price, R-Ga.
The resolution called on Congress “not to assemble on or between the dates of November 2, 2010 and January 3, 2011, except in the case of an unforeseen, sudden emergency requiring immediate action from Congress.”
‘NO LAME DUCK SESSION’ RESOLUTION BLOCKED
When the “No Lame-Duck Session” resolution was finally presented, Democrats successfully blocked it by a vote of 263-163. Six Democrats – Rep. Bobby Bright of Alabama, Rep. Mike McIntyre of North Carolina, Rep. Mike McMahon of New York, Rep. Charlie Melancon of Louisiana, Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho and Rep. Glenn Nye of Virginia –broke ranks to vote with Republicans. Only one Republican – Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho – sided with Democrats to kill the resolution.
Though not surprised, Price was disappointed, stating most Americans oppose the idea of Democrats using a lame-duck session to pass unpopular legislation.
“Speaker Pelosi’s Democrats failed this test,” said Price. “Despite having total control over Congress and the White House, Democrats have delayed important debates in the hopes of using a lame-duck session to avoid scrutiny of their job-killing plans.”
Based on the assumption that Republicans will win back the majority in the House on Election Day, the goal of the resolution was to stop a rush of roundly unpopular bills – including the “Cap and Trade” energy tax and a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal – from being passed in the final days before the Democrats would hand over control.
UNIONS GET BAILOUT; BUSINESSES, FAMILIES STILL SUFFER
Democrats – who outnumber their counterparts –successfully passed the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, 247-161 – a bill that was sponsored by House and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y.
Joining the 158 Republicans in opposing the bill were three Southern Democrats – Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee, Rep. Bobby Bright of Alabama and Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi.
Two Republicans – Rep. Joseph Cao of Louisiana and Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware – sided with the Democrat majority. Twenty-five members did not vote.
The $26 billion was positioned by Democrats as an emergency measure to rehire teachers and aid state governments. However, the federal and state governments have more than $30 billion still available in the “unspent education stimulus,” allocated last year in the $100 billion stimulus package.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) pushed Pelosi to call the House back into session, so states would not have to lay off government and union employees.
In return, unions promised to “rev up their campaign machinery” during the August recess:
“We are set to launch a robust field plan across the country during the month of August, including advertising and grassroots events,” said Gerry McEntee, president of AFSCME, in a statement. “We intend to highlight the clear choice Americans will make in November between Democrats who are working to protect jobs and move the economy forward and Republicans who are willing to wreck the economy for political gain.”
House Republican Leader John Boehner from Ohio said the American people – who are having to make tough financial decisions and are forced to scale back – don’t want more “stimulus” spending from Washington – especially in the form of payoffs.
“This stunning display of tone-deafness comes at the expense of American workers, who will be hit by another job-killing tax hike, because Washington Democrats can’t kick their addiction to more government ‘stimulus’ spending,” Boehner said. “Democrats should be listening to their constituents – who are asking ‘Where are the jobs?’ – instead of scampering back to Washington to push through more special interest bailouts and job-killing tax hikes.”
The liberal-leaning editorial board of The Washington Post said of the bill:
“The crusade for an education jobs bill, led by the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in Congress, has always struck us as more of an election-year favor for teachers unions than an optimal use of public resources.
“Billed as an effort to stimulate the economy, it’s not clearly more effective than alternative uses of the cash. Yes, school budgets are tight across the country, but the teacher layoff ‘crisis’ is exaggerated.”
Also today, The Heritage Foundation released a report showing that federal, state and local employees earn 30-40 percent more in total compensation than their private-sector counterparts – despite the current economic malaise.
Boehner said American taxpayers are not the only ones who are nervous about the bills being passed by the Democrat-led Congress.
“The (Democrats) really do have employers scared to death. I’ve been all over my district over the last several days,” he said. “I talked to a lot of employers who just are fearful of what’s coming next out of Washington. It’s all the spending, it’s all the debt. It’s their national energy tax. … More mandates, higher costs, more taxes. It’s their health care bill: more mandates, higher costs and higher taxes. If that’s not bad enough, they want to raise the taxes on the American people. It’s no wonder that employers are frozen.
“The best way to address the challenges our cities and states are facing is to get our economy back on track, not kick the can down the road and double down on the same failing policies.”
I suggest the Republicans start to use a word we've heard before: clawback.
Maybe if Boehner had worked harder to pass Right to Work legislation, rather than bottle it up in cmte. we wouldn’t have this problem!
See National Right to Work Cmte. for details.
Here’s a question I’m sure someone can answer for me...
If (when) we sweep in November and the Dems go hog-wild during the lame duck session, how easy/hard will it be for the new House and Senate to repeal that legislation passed in their respective chambers?
Nutsy Pelosi must’ve been something before electricity. The Speaker may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don’t let that fool you. She really is an idiot.
You already know the answer to this question: As hard as the supermajority is that such legislation would need to override a veto.
Castle and Cao must go!
If there is a bloodbath in November I think even some democraps may see the light and go with a super majority to repeal.
After all, the voters have spoken... and some of them will want to be re-elected in 2 years
The can’t ALL be communists, can they?
Yes We Can.
This is the game played by the other faction in this "Two-Party Cartel" - example #2346 always reacting. So after the fact the so-called conservatives bitch but go back & allow it to happen over & over. Their elite puppeteers again give them their orders.
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