Posted on 08/28/2008 4:19:35 AM PDT by ricks_place
Democrats and Republicans have scripted their conventions as tightly as possible. But after delegates return home with buttons, badges and banners, the curtain will rise on a more unruly drama: the fall session of Congress. And it could affect the November election more than the conventions.
The House and Senate return to Washington Monday, Sept. 8. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hope it will be a short session, ending on Sept. 26. That will allow members to go home and campaign, not to return until after Election Day. Good luck.
Congress hasn't yet passed any one of the 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the government when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. And Congress isn't likely to pass them through both houses and get them to the president before leaving town.
The goal here for Mr. Reid and Mrs. Pelosi is to delay passing a budget until the next president is inaugurated. If the Democrats get their wish and sweep the November elections, Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony will mark the opening of the spending floodgates.
Before they get there, however, this Congress must first pass stopgap legislation that will pay the federal government's bills for the next few months. Usually, that is done with a "continuing resolution," a bill that simply funds the government at its current level for a short period of time.
But a continuing resolution is fraught with political problems for Democrats...
Another problem is oil. There is a congressional ban on drilling on the outer continental shelf that will expire on Oct. 1, if it isn't first reauthorized. Typically, the ban is reauthorized as part of the Interior Department appropriations bill. But this year the president says he will veto that bill if the House and Senate don't allow an up-or-down vote on drilling there.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
McCain is a Senator. He's part of the problem.
We have three Senators from a do-nothing, low rated Congress running for President. What makes people think there will be change of any sort?
Oh yeah, given McCain’s propensity for reaching across the aisle I’m sure plenty will get done.
Just be carefull what you wish for.
If McCain was a governor, maybe he could go after the Congress. McCain’s part of the problem IN Congress.
mark for later
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