I should cry, but it's healthier to laugh. So as any meaningful filibuster reform went dead in the Senate, the Onion News Network reported on how lawmakers may have forgotten how to pass laws even with big, or unanimous majorities.
For real, the Washington Post's Ezra Klien reports on how it will continue to be true that a simple majority will not get bills passed in the 112th Congress.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2011/01/wonkbook_filibuster_reform_dea.html
Yet, both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did make some changes in the stalling process. The broad agreement is the most significant change in the chamber's rules in 35 years. That's really saying something about the saucer chamber, because other than dropping the confirmation process for about 400 federal agency nominees, it seems like it will be more like business as usual than "Change We Can Believe In," on Capitol Hill.
Lee Hamilton makes the case for Congress
Make sure you read Hamilton's article, as well as 301-317 in the Patterson text, possible quiz??
After the filibustered block of the American Jobs Act last week, Politico reports that Teachers will come (or go) first in the first stage of the pieced together jobs plan:
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will begin breaking apart President Barack Obama’s jobs bill with a vote on the provision that helps states pay teachers and first responders, his office and the White House said Monday.
Reid will hold a press call Monday afternoon “to announce the introduction of the first individual component of President Obama’s jobs bill,” his office said in an email to reporters soon after White House press secretary Jay Carney alerted journalists aboard Air Force One. “The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act will help states and local governments keep teachers in the classroom and police officers and firefighters on the beat.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66144.html#ixzz1b3qRNOKm
2 comments:
I found the the onion video very funny and at the same time it presented an interesting point. It has been constantly talked about in class about the extremely low approval rate in Congress. It seems to me that this is because of the inactivity more than anything as the video highlights. If Congress were constantly passing legislation even on the most hotly contested issues 50% of Americans or more would be pleased. Furthermore it would most likely raise approval rates as it shows signs of progress. This is not to say that Congress should pass legislation irresponsibly. Congress still has the duty to be fair and thorough in evaluation even if ratings suffer. At this point however, it appears that there is too much conflict in congress and even reasonable legislation is getting shut down do to political ties and this remains an issue.
It's interesting to note the disparity in opinion, here. A man who understands the inner workings of Congress assures us that things aren't as corrupt and stagnant as they seem, while The Onion's video captures popular opinion of congress, however polarized it may be. The truth is, not much can really change; there are enough stories of "bridges to nowhere" and enough evidence of a real standstill (like a political posturing session) for the public's negative opinion to carry until one or both of those issues gets resolved. Hopefully the stoppage in Congress can be overcome, because the pork isn't going anywhere.
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