Spring Break
Democrats harming bipartisan spirit
Chelsea Cane Indiana University
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: Opinion
(U-WIRE) - With the recent passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, much of America has been buzzing about the provisions within the bill as well as the mode by which it was constructed and passed.
The Obama campaign ran on a promise of fiscal responsibility, transparency and bipartisanship. While I commend President Barack Obama for the introduction of http://recovery.gov to help Americans track the payments and projects supported by the new stimulus package, our new leadership has forgotten its promise of bipartisanship and its desire to bring the nation together.
Long before President Obama entered the White House, our Democrat-led Congress had been pushing Republicans out of the legislative process. (Before I continue, I do acknowledge the past shortcomings of Republicans in this same arena. However, my argument against Democrats currently centers on their outspoken aspirations to achieve "real" bipartisanship and to bring Americans together to achieve responsible government.)
On June 10 of last year, the Congressional Research Service released a report indicating that 855 of the 911 bills passed by the Senate of the 110th Congress were streamlined by Democratic Party leadership with a procedural tactic known as Unanimous Consent. Unanimous Consent requires neither a debate nor even a vote.
Is this the vision our founding fathers had for our nation's legislative body? I maintain that it is not. But it also begs the question: Where is the line between obstruction and delay and constructive debate?
The House version of the stimulus package was passed without a single Republican vote, the final vote tallying 246-183. The Senate narrowly avoided a filibuster by passing the bill 61-37, just one vote more than what was needed to close debate.
Only three Senate Republicans voted for the bill. More Democrats in the House voted against the bill than Republicans in the Senate voted for it.
In July, the House of Representatives, led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, dismissed all debate on the issue of offshore drilling. This callous disregard for the process is another prime example of Democrats' unwillingness to engage in open debate about which they so often pontificate.
The Obama campaign ran on a promise of fiscal responsibility, transparency and bipartisanship. While I commend President Barack Obama for the introduction of http://recovery.gov to help Americans track the payments and projects supported by the new stimulus package, our new leadership has forgotten its promise of bipartisanship and its desire to bring the nation together.
Long before President Obama entered the White House, our Democrat-led Congress had been pushing Republicans out of the legislative process. (Before I continue, I do acknowledge the past shortcomings of Republicans in this same arena. However, my argument against Democrats currently centers on their outspoken aspirations to achieve "real" bipartisanship and to bring Americans together to achieve responsible government.)
On June 10 of last year, the Congressional Research Service released a report indicating that 855 of the 911 bills passed by the Senate of the 110th Congress were streamlined by Democratic Party leadership with a procedural tactic known as Unanimous Consent. Unanimous Consent requires neither a debate nor even a vote.
Is this the vision our founding fathers had for our nation's legislative body? I maintain that it is not. But it also begs the question: Where is the line between obstruction and delay and constructive debate?
The House version of the stimulus package was passed without a single Republican vote, the final vote tallying 246-183. The Senate narrowly avoided a filibuster by passing the bill 61-37, just one vote more than what was needed to close debate.
Only three Senate Republicans voted for the bill. More Democrats in the House voted against the bill than Republicans in the Senate voted for it.
In July, the House of Representatives, led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, dismissed all debate on the issue of offshore drilling. This callous disregard for the process is another prime example of Democrats' unwillingness to engage in open debate about which they so often pontificate.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
jimmy
posted 2/27/09 @ 9:40 AM MST
I agree with everything except this statement....
"However, we are now seeing a markedly more partisan-sounding President Obama and a more polarized Congress than I have seen in several years"
Are you Blind? The first 6 years of Bush were just as polarizing and partisan. (Continued…)
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