Dismal Legacy of 109th [Rupug "Do-Nothing" ] Congress

[rodeodance]

Pass this around and Ask your Dems congresscritters to start hitting back when Bush disses them for not getting Appropriation bills done by October!!





http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2006/12/109th.html


Dismal Legacy of 109th Congress

December 12, 2006

The 109th Congress left office in the early hours of Saturday morning, December 9, having logged fewer days of legislative activity than even the infamous “Do-Nothing Congress” of 1948. Notably absent from the following list of last-minute “accomplishments” is comprehensive immigration reform, a minimum wage increase, and nine out of 11 appropriations bills needed to fully fund federal activity for the 2007 fiscal year.

The failure to pass a working budget for the federal government—the fundamental constitutional task of Congress—highlights the failures of the conservative leadership of the departing Congress. Indeed, the incoming chairmen of the House and Senate appropriations committees, Rep. David Obey (D-WI) and Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), took a look at the mess left to them and yesterday announced they will hold all spending at 2006 levels after ejecting all special earmarks and begin a more deliberative and open budgeting process next year for the next fiscal year beginning in October 2007.

The Center for American Progress applauds that move, and hopes that the incoming Congress will reconsider or expand upon some of the last minute decisions of the outgoing Do Nothing Congress.

Continuing Resolution

In the lingering minutes of the 109th Congress, the two chambers reached a final agreement on a stop gap funding measure to keep 13 of the 15 departments of the federal government and 63 of its independent agencies from shutting down altogether. This represents a monumental failure of the most central responsibility of the legislative branch—funding the federal government. ……

[rodeodance]

1. k