Quick Hits: Action and Inaction in Congress
Kari Chisholm
- Argh. In a big surprise, the wilderness area protection bill (S. 22) - which included the long-awaited Mt. Hood Wilderness Area - was defeated in the U.S. House by just two votes. Apparently the bill required a two-thirds vote to pass - under some arcane House rules. (I thought the House was the body without supermajority rules?) From the Washington Post:
The measure -- which has passed the Senate already and would represent one of the largest expansions of public lands in a quarter century -- received 282 aye and 144 nay votes, leaving it two votes shy of passage. ...
House leaders are likely to bring the bill up again in the future but the timing remains unclear, said a senior Democratic aide who asked not to be identified. The aide said the leadership would only bring it up under a suspension of House rules, which requires a two-thirds vote, because the roughly 1,200-page package is so complex it could be tied up by procedural motions if it came up under regular order.
All five members of Oregon's delegation voted aye. Congressman Kurt Schrader explains the situation to OPB:
He says national Democrats made a tactical decision to fast-track the vote.
Kurt Schrader: “But they tried to push it quickly. And when you try to push it quickly, it requires a ‘suspension vote’ meaning you need to get two-thirds of the members in the House to vote ‘yes’. We came up just shy of that. We will easily get the majority when it falls back to a regular vote and comes up again.”
- When the big health care reform bill finally happens, don't expect it to be called "WydenCare". Senator Ron Wyden told Jeff Mapes:
When I brought up the subject of health care legislation, Sen. Ron Wyden was quick to say: "My name won't be on it." ...
As Obama made clear at the health care summit he hosted at the White House last week, the pivotal figure is Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass, who is fighting brain cancer but would like this to be the culminating achievement of a storied Senate career.
So Kennedy will certain be the public face of the bill in the Senate, as well as Baucus because of his key chairmanship. And, of course, it will ultimately be seen as Obama's success or failure.
Wyden said he's fine with being a legislative mechanic. "If we can get the bulk of what we have fought for," he said, "that will be ultimately very satisfying."
- Remember those awful ads by Freedom Watch last year? The ones that Ron Wyden called "misleading and wrong"? Jeff Mapes noted Monday that the ads were "at least partially bankrolled by Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson". Memo to Democrats: Do not stay at the Venetian Resort & Casino.
- Already, Senator Jeff Merkley has found out how "segregated" Democrats and Republicans are in Congress - as compared to the Oregon Legislature. From the O's Jeff Mapes: (is he the only political reporter left in Oregon? -editor.)
Merkley is also learning about the sharpness of the partisan lines. As a former Democratic leader and speaker in the Oregon House, Merkley is no stranger to partisan combat.
But, he said, "It is amazing how segregated this institution is, and it's no good for the American people."
Merkley recalled how Oregon legislators sit in committee: Democrat, Republican, Democrat, Republican, and so forth.
"I never appreciated how important that was to creating conversations and really friendships across the aisle," he said. Merkley said he's suggested to a couple of committee chairs that they try this approach. "They say, 'Oh, that's an interesting idea, Jeff,'" said Merkley, in an ironic tone that makes it clear it's an idea not likely to take bloom anytime soon.
He said he's trying to break through that by scheduling meetings with Republican senators just to get to know them.
- Senator Wyden expressed some concern that the President's climate change bill (including cap-and-trade) needs to be adjusted to protect low-income folks. In the Houston Chronicle:
Key Senate Democrats on Wednesday cast doubt on whether Congress would approve President Barack Obama’s plan to control greenhouse gas emissions without major changes. ...
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he was worried that the proposal wouldn’t do enough to defray expected higher energy costs for the poor.
“We’ve got to think through the economic consequences here, or a lot of people are going to get hurt,” Wyden said.
The comments came during a Senate Budget Committee hearing with Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
- And finally, Senator Ron Wyden is now on Facebook. Check it out - and sign up as a supporter!
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12:18 a.m.
Mar 12, '09
Full disclosure: My firm manages the campaign websites for Senators Wyden and Merkley, and Congressman Schrader. I speak only for myself.
Mar 12, '09
There are times that it's easy to understand what Dems are thinking and other times...like these.
Surprise? OK. You don't hold your breath whenever we depend on Speaker Pelosi to get something done. why? People that do still don't know anything, we just happen to guess lucky when we expect outcomes like this? I think I'm going to keep a running tab, just a one word excuse and the bill's title and see how it reads in 4. So, what would be the word on this one? 'wilderness bill: suprised'?
The criminal Bush organization was very good at having cabinet positions visit the Congress during important debate. Also famous for their not visiting, but I was interested to see how the new admin. would handle this one. Curse shallow world reporting, but I was unable to find any input from Salazar on this at all. Still looking. Was it the day he was busy de-listing the wolves? Reneging on the off-road ban? Isn't deciding when public debate happens, length of floor debate, timing, etc., part of the Speaker's job? Is it at least worth asking all those Dems that voted against it why they Party leadership influenced them so little?
Let me guess; this was the House's payback to the Senate for resolving the bail-out bill by effectively just using the Senate version? Do the majority leader and speaker belong to the same party? Independent progressives should have run ads. during the run-up to the election, telling voters to not worry about unhealthy, one party dominance in the Congress. Don't fear Dems holding all the cards, they still can't play a decent hand.
Thanks for answering a question I asked, years back, when you all had the pol blogs meet-up in Vegas. The whole Vegas culture isn't destructive to the environment, just specific parties that target specific legislation. So, when I asked about how watching a hotel shoot water into the desert sky was entertaining, I might as well have been speaking Greek. Got it.
Suppose for the sake of argument, that Obama's climate change bill works perfectly, that it allows the US to bring our emissions in line with whatever the world agrees to by whenever. That would be a huge success, and won't happen, but suppose... Even if you were to gain that, how much would you lose by selling it as "no change required". At the very least, do Dems really think that's what people voted for Obama on the environment for? No change required? I found a way to make Bush league doctrine work? Is that why we are still carrying out drone attacks against Pakistani civilians? It's becoming a disturbing trend in all but the financial areas, that this administration thinks major change is making Bush policies succeed, more than it is replacing those policies.
Good to hear Sen. Jeff can see an obvious problem. Sanity check. These are the people that you all constantly hold up as intelligent, well-intentioned individuals, and they basically haven't come near the level of functioning of the Oregon leg., which has brilliantly figured out that no business gets done if you don't sit "boy, girl, boy girl..." Anyone that still has hope for change needs therapy.
Facebook is evil. The social networking aspect of politics is something to be tolerated, not indulged. It doesn't make the Republic better. It has weakened it, on countless occasions, in the past.
Mar 12, '09
"Memo to Democrats: Do not stay at the Venetian Resort & Casino." Memo to Democrats and Republicans: Yeah let's have that economic civil war Kari is promoting.
Boycott every business that is aligned with your enemy.
I wonder how this will turn out?
Mar 12, '09
Kari, you should point out that both Wyden and Merkley Voted for Illegal alien "cheap" slave labor over American workers this week again.
That Child in Woodburn could be alive IF that repeat Criminal couldn't take a job and stay here.
This is also after our US Senate pulled E-Verify from the "Stimulus" bill so 300,000 Illegals can steal those new construction jobs, instead of Americans and Legal immigrants feeding their Families with these much needed jobs.
Yes our two U.S. Senators who are in that office in DC because supposedly only U.S. Citizens put them there, voted for criminal NON citizens and not for the millions of Americans out of work.
A Bill to extend the Free, Fast and 99.5% accurate E-Verify program, now used by over 100,000 companies with 3 million checks this year already, to extend this for many years failed 47-50 in the US Senate yesterday, even after Senator Wyden told a Town Hall of over 100 in Salem he would vote for it.
Also locally Speaker Dave Hunt just pulled the Bill to make using E-Verify the law in Oregon?!
Again, YOUR elected officials are working for S.S.# Stealing (see Del Monte Fresh) and supposedly non voting Illegal Aliens and not YOU and your Family.
In 2010 if we have to buy full page ads in every paper and billboards all over and autodial all 3.5 million Oregonians, we will make sure everyone remembers this! I promise.
Mar 12, '09
Rick: So as part of your little tirade against our two Senator, you forgot to mention who exactly pulled E-Verify from the bill and how many republicans voted for it.
After all, what would the corporations do if they didn't have illegal labor to exploit in order to keep wages down? Who was against this and why, exactly?
Do you have that information or is this all just hot air? I am sure our local newspapers and billboard companies will appreciate the advertising revenue in 2010 they will receive from whatever well funded organization you claim to represent.
Like Obama said, "It's not a perfect bill." But then, name one that is?
Mar 12, '09
A question I've been mulling over is: "Are conservatives, republicans, certain media outlets and the talking heads of television purposely trying to talk the stock market and economy into the tank simply to sabotage our President's efforts to help our economy out of our recession/depression?"
My answer: Yes.
Mar 12, '09
Three Democrats did not vote and two voted against the bill. I'm hoping the reasons for not voting include the fact that the Bill is way too big, way too bloated, and was rushed to the table before anyone had appropriate time to consider it. There is a lot of good in the bill...and lots that isn't. Is it so terrible that now there will be a chance to actually write a good bill before bringing it back for a vote? See my post at http://ttoes.wordpress.com/2009/03/12/why-the-rush/
Mar 12, '09
Unre Lib, The multi-year extension for E-Verify was an amendment by Sen. Jeff Session and Pelosi said no new Amd. to the Bill would be allowed, for the Omnibus bill that is.
Pelosi allowed E-Verify in the Stimulus bill that passed in the House but Reid pulled it in the Committee after the Senate voted for the Stimulus bill.
E-Verify locally is in Mike Shaufler's(D) biz committee with Bi-Partisan support but Dave Hunt dropped it.
The vote was 47-50, with most Republicans voting yes. Locally our only Hispanic Leg. Sal Esquival (R) is in the News for his E-Verfiy Bill here, thats two of 'em now folks.
E-Verify is in the Omnibus bill but only extended until this September, so they are going to use it for political football this summer, instead of heping Americans and legal immigrants get those new jobs now.
Rep. Pete DeFazio (D) has a Bill in the US House to not only extend it for many years but to make it mandatory Nationwide.
10:58 a.m.
Mar 12, '09
Um, Ricky Hickey, I thought you were opposed to English as a Second Language?
Mar 12, '09
"Jeff Mapes noted Monday that the ads were "at least partially bankrolled by Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson". Memo to Democrats: Do not stay at the Venetian Resort & Casino.
When did we stop acting like adults?
Mar 12, '09
Speaking of Congress now is the time for Senators like Kent Conrad to take a trip to the woodshed when he says universal health care reform is not affordable but continued subsidies for corporate agriculture are.
Mar 12, '09
Chris Goulding said, "It's becoming a disturbing trend in all but the financial areas, that this administration thinks major change is making Bush policies succeed, more than it is replacing those policies."
I really don't see much difference in the financial areas either. It's still corporatism first, and middle-of-the-road economists like Krugman are freaking. Throwing more money than Bush would have at problems that require fundamental change will at best slow the descent into economic hell. (All right, there is a dime's worth of difference.)
Mar 12, '09
The Savior said, "I am a New Democrat", at the end of a private meeting with a group of "moderate Democrats" (more "moderate" than the conservative Blue Dog Coalition, who apparently are now "progressives" in comparison) on Tuesday afternoon.
"And what are Americans--who are losing their jobs and their homes because AIG acted like a casino and taxpayers paid off all their gambling debts--getting? They get to die...Meanwhile Ellen Tauscher is bragging that she and her New Democrat Coalition come from Wall Street, and work as henchmen for bank lobbyists. Of course they are -- the New Democrat's Executive Director, Adam Pase, was a lobbyist for predatory lenders. And bank lobbyists love them back, cooing about how the New Dems will keep Congress from 'punishing' banks with new regulation of the financial system." (Cancer Patients Die While 'New Dems' Help Bankers Get Billions) with thanks to Bill B. for the link.
But this is less nauseating than McCain would have been?
Mar 12, '09
Definitely, but the question is, is it less enough to make a difference?
I'm tired of hearing black and white assessments- generally to cover failure- when the real answer is always gray. "This bill isn't perfect, no bill is", is a tautology. Is it perfect enough to do the job? That was the question. The response only differs in civility from Ronald Reagan cupping his ear to reporters under the helicopter.
6:15 p.m.
Mar 12, '09
Noted: Perhaps Senator Wyden is the one who has not thought through Cap and Trade. Cap and Trade will make carbon emitting energy costs more. Poor people use energy and will pay the tax. This is not a sudden, new insight. There are schemes to refund all or parts of those taxes. Wyden needs to get specific with his concerns. As the Houston Chronicle link reports: “The administration estimates its cap-and-trade system would generate $645.7 billion in revenue for the federal government by 2019, with $525 billion of that reserved for a tax credit that would help cushion consumers against higher energy costs.” This leaves an additional tax burden of $120.7 billion. Not quite revenue neutral. I’d prefer that we start with a revenue neutral, substantial, national gas tax, refunding the tax through a reduction in the payroll tax.
Mar 13, '09