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Why are House Democrats so Afraid of an Open Debate?
Democrats Choose to Play Politics with Must-Pass Troop Funding Bill
Washington,
Apr 30 -
In November 2006, soon-to-be Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that her “leadership team will create the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history.” Now, almost a year and a half after she issued that proclamation, today might be a good time to remind her of that promise to the American people. After all, her actions do more than exclude House Republicans and many Democrats from having a meaningful say, more importantly they exclude the millions of American families that Members of Congress represent from having any voice in Washington at all. And, most egregious of all, the Democrats are choosing to deploy these heavy-handed tactics and play politics with a must-pass spending bill for our fighting men and women in the field.
House Democrats next week plan on bringing to the floor the 37th supplemental spending bill that Congress has considered in nearly 20 years. The glaring difference between this supplemental and the other 36, though, is that this will be the only controversial one brought to the floor without going through the House Appropriations Committee and without bi-partisan sign-off.
The last supplemental considered under a Republican majority in 2006 saw floor votes on 27 Democratic amendments and 23 amendments by the Republicans. None of those supplementals shut out alternatives and opposition at every step of the way – in committee, on the floor, and in conference committee.
That Speaker Pelosi has chosen to close Republicans out of the process may fit well with her penchant for power and fear of holding up her priorities to scrutiny. But what’s surprising is that those 27amendments offered by Democrats is 27 more than their own leadership is allowing them now. Is Speaker Pelosi attempting to pass this bill without a peep of opposition because it contains items so unambiguously offensive that they couldn’t even stand the scrutiny from her fellow Democrats?
In a letter to Appropriations Chairman Obey, Ranking Member Lewis wrote, “In our brief meeting on April 17th, you assured me that the Appropriations Committee would not abdicate to your leadership its responsibility to write the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill…Let me be perfectly clear: Any attempt to bypass the full Committee and move the Emergency Supplemental directly to the House floor will be met with the unified opposition of Committee Republicans.”
Ranking Member Lewis isn’t the only member of Congress to raise an objection; the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Robert Byrd, rightfully ignored the Speakers attempts to roll Congress and called a Senate mark-up of the supplemental. That same day, Congress Daily AM said Democratic leaders were “considering using the never-enacted Fiscal Year 2008 (FY08) Military Construction Appropriations bill as a vehicle for the war supplemental.” Such a procedural tactic would eliminate the only available opportunity for Republicans, and the constituents we serve, to offer their input on this critical supplemental troop-funding bill. It also ensures the Democrat-majority can bog this must pass bill down with whatever special interest provisions they chose. This should hardly be a surprise when you consider the Speaker’s choice for House Majority Leader John Murtha’s position and proclivity for adding unrelated spending to almost any bill that passes the House.
Clearly, Chairman Obey has gone back on his word and Speaker Pelosi has forgotten her promise to the American people by presiding over anything that remotely resembles an open or ethical Congress. What is even more shameful than that, though, is they chose to waste time using these unprecedented tactics on a bill that must pass immediately. “The courageous men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces and diplomatic corps are in danger of running short of equipment and supplies and other means necessary to fulfill their mission of safeguarding and defending the United States at home and abroad,” reads a letter from Senate Republican Appropriators to Chairman Byrd. In a press release, Byrd said he agreed with their concerns.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer agreed that the military will start sending out furlough notices and exhaust their funds by June. This bill will prevent our soldiers from being stranded in a war zone or their families from running out of money. Instead of passing a supplemental, Speaker Pelosi’s strong-arm tactics have ensured its defeat.
Not long after Speaker-Elect Pelosi promised her open, honest and ethical Congress, she also promised “civility and respect.” She’s shown that to her special interest groups – it’s time she starts to show it to our troops.
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