Love Thy Congress
It has been a year since we the people overthrew the Republican Rubber Stamp Congress and replaced them with a Democratic majority. Since then, there have been plenty of reasons for progressive Democrats to be annoyed with the new regime: the least approved president in history is still getting a blank check to wreak havoc in Iraq, the Republican minority has scared our representatives into giving the Administration broad, unconstitutional spying powers, it looks like the Democrats are going make a man who refuses to call waterboarding torture will be our next Attorney General, and more. I could go on and on and on listing reasons why we should be pissed at Nancy, Steny, Harry, and the whole gang.
But before we condemn our Congress, we need to step back and look at the big picture.
Our Congress has had more votes in a year than any previous Congress, is going to be in session so much longer than its predecessors, and has accomplished so many of the things that we sent them to Washington to do, including:
- First minimum wage increase in 10 years
- 9/11 Commission recommendations to screen all air cargo and overseas port cargo, improving communications between first responders
- Tough rules to establish highest ethical standards in Congressional history
- Most sweeping lobby and ethics reform in a generation, hailed by reform groups as “landmark reform” and “a sea of change”
- Pay-as-you-go budget discipline restored to end six years of deficit spending
- Fiscal discipline that produces a balanced budget by 2012
- A comprehensive Innovation and Competitiveness agenda to double basic research & development and reinvest in math and science education
- Emergency funding to support and equip troops, including tripling Mine-Resistant Ambush
- Protected (MRAP) vehicles in Iraq
- Tighter rules against foreign investment that weaken national security, after the Dubai Ports scandal
- Reduction of backlog on passports after 9/11 requirement through hiring boost
- Benchmarks and progress report required on Iraq
- Emergency assistance to protect children’s health coverage
- Overdue disaster aid to farmers and ranchers
- Overdue hurricane aid to rebuild Gulf Coast housing, hospitals, schools, and levees
- Emergency funding to fight wildfires
- U.S. Attorney appointments protected from political influence
- Vigorous Congressional oversight restored after six years, saving billions of taxpayer dollars, exposing corruption and incompetence
- Green the Capitol plan launched to cut carbon footprint 50%
- National Summit on America’s Children to align policies with latest science
And let’s not forget the things that our Democrats have passed but have been obstructed by Bush or the Senate Republicans, like healthcare for sick kids, timetables for Iraq withdrawal, live-saving stem cell research, voting rights for DC residents, more affordable prescription drugs for Medicare recipients, more time at home for our soldiers, bargaining rights for workers, and so much more.
So yes, Congress hasn’t accomplished every single thing that we’d like them to, but they’ve done so much to make this country a better place in less than a year. Today, instead of calling your Democratic Congressperson to lambaste them for all the things they haven’t done, why not thank them for all the things they have done.
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