Tag: Do-Nothing Congress
Before Politics Turned Into Entertainment
“Creating a false reality to trick voters is central to undermining democracy, and it is no secret that autocratic states like Russia, Iran, and China are spreading disinformation in the U.S. But I have always wondered what would happen when the American people finally pushed back against suggestions and innuendo and instead demanded actual evidence and policies designed to address problems, as they did before American politics turned into entertainment.”
— Heather Cox Richardson, Letters from an American
Do-Nothing Congress Did Almost Nothing
22
“Congress is about to wrap its least productive legislative year since at least 1973,” the Washington Post reports. “Just 22 bills have been signed into law this year… It’s a stark contrast to last year, when 281 bills were signed into law.”
Biden: Only Congress Can Address Gun Violence Now
“I have gone the full extent of my executive authority, to do on my own anything about guns. The Congress has to act. The majority of the American people think having assault weapons is bizarre, a crazy idea. They’re against that.”
— “President Biden said that he’s exhausted what he can do through executive action on gun control as he called on Congress to act following the nation’s latest mass shooting,” USA Today reports.
Lumps of Coal
Healthcare reform just gets more twisted and vicious,
And tax reform looks like a lot of unfinished business.
They’ve all been naughty, not nice,
And after checking his list twice,
Santa Ryan says Congress has to stay in session through Christmas\.
Why Republicans Don’t Need to Govern
You can’t simply assert, like it’s some sort of natural fact, that Republicans ‘must show they can govern’ when an alternative course is available. Not only is it not a secret — this other direction — but it’s being strongly urged upon the party by people who are a key part of its coalition. … The alternative to ‘show you can govern’ is to keep President Obama from governing. Right? Keep him from accomplishing what he wants to get done in his final two years and then ‘go to the country,’ as Karl Rove used to say, with a simple message: time for a change! This is not only a valid way to proceed, it’s a pretty likely outcome.
— Jay Rosen, on his PressThink blog.
Is Congress Abdicating Its War Powers to Obama?
“There’s one power Congress has that it doesn’t want: The power to declare war. And that’s certainly so seven weeks before congressional elections.
— Bloomberg reports. “The House will vote today on an amendment that gives the administration the authority to train and equip Syrian rebels as part of President Barack Obama’s strategy for destroying Islamic State. But it is silent on whether the president can deploy U.S. forces in the region. Some say Congress is setting a dangerous precedent by abdicating its war powers.”
Beware of CongressCare
We’re watching the ebola epidemic,
To which Congress’ response is anemic.
Oh, they’ll toss a few million
To save a few children,
Long as it’s mostly just Africans getting sick.
Executive Action Figure
President Obama has returned from vacation,
Recharged and ready to lead this great nation.
Though with a do-nothing Congress,
He doesn’t have much choice,
But to instigate some serious executive action.
Least Productive Congress in History Leaves Washington for Five-Week Vacation
After breaking all records for doing nothing, the least productive Congress in U.S. history leaves town today for a five-week vacation:
The grand-daddy of all “Do Nothing” Congresses will be departing soon for an undeserved five week summer vacation – leaving behind a pile of unfinished business and a serious humanitarian crisis festering along the U.S.-Mexico border.
While lawmakers likely will be able to claim a modicum of success on a few issues, the House prepared to close up shop Thursday afternoon after Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) was forced to pull from the floor two GOP measures to help house, process and deport tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America who crossed the border illegally in recent months.
