A Productive Lame Duck Session

The Lame duck session was surprising.  Congress got a lot more done than I expected- and a lot more done than probably everyone but Harry Reid expected.  I think the productivity, especially in the Senate, was due to the early agreement on the tax bill.  Once that came into place, most other things were likely to fall into place.  That said, I fear that this bipartisan spirit is a very short term phenomenon and it will be business as usual come January 5th. 

I’m really disappointed in the failure to enact spending bills Although LIHEAP worked out in the CR, CSBG would have been a big winner had the Senate been able to maintain bipartisan cooperation and pass an omnibus bill.  CSBG would have been increased 12%, up to $785 million in the ill fated senate bill.  I fear that’s as good as it’s going to get for quite a while.

I’m hearing a lot about House appropriators plans on cutting spending.  February and March are going to be brutal months; many of our core programs are going to be questioned.  The CR running only until March 4th is going to make for a volatile beginning to the month of March. 

Odds and Ends From the Lame Duck

I've talked to a number of members this week; some are friends defeated for reelection, others are friends that are going to have a reduced role in next year's congress. I’m finding it difficult and sad to see members that I’ve dealt with for years have to work out of the basement of a building in a cubicle because, as a result of their defeat, they no longer have office space. After this year's elections, there are more friends in that category than I’m used to. I've had a number of these defeated members talk to me about their comeback plans- most are eyeing 2014 instead of 2012.

I've also been keeping a close eye on the new House Committee lineups- generally there have been no surprises. John Klein (R-MN) is Chairman of Education and Labor, Hal Rogers (R-KY) will chair House Appropriations, and  Fred Upton (R-MI) will be Chairman of House Energy and Commerce. These are members that I think will be inclined to be supportive of our programs- however, Democrats and Republicans alike continue to emphasize the questions they still have on their minds about our programs- especially questions regarding the five billion dollar weatherization stimulus program. I think the heaviest questioning in the coming year will come from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Appropriations.

I continue to encounter strong anger from House Democrats over the tax deal and I think this anger will stick around for quite awhile. There has been a lot of bluster about who is going to vote against the tax package among House Democrats. I've had three House members tell me this week that they are voting against the package, but I remain to be convinced.  I think at the end of the day, for most Democrats, voting for middle class tax relief and the extension of unemployment benefits will trump voting against tax breaks for millionaires.

I’m also hearing more members talking about how surprised they are at the high salaries of federal employees- the subject has been coming into conversations a lot more than I had expected. I’m starting to wonder, with this deficit cutting mode Congress is in, if there is going to be a focus on federal salaries. I think there is more to come on this issue.

Lastly, I’m actually optimistic that Congress can get things done in the coming year, but I’m in a very small minority. Most lobbyists around town are expecting two years of hard and fast gridlock.

A Thankless Job, Well Done

I’m frustrated with all the attacks on Speaker Pelosi. Prior to 2006, I didn’t know her very well, but I’ve been around her quite a bit in the past four years. I’m perplexed as to why she is vilified so much around the country, particularly by the right wing political pundits. Leading up to the midterm elections,  a staggering $75 million was spent on ads attacking Speaker Pelosi, creating this caricature of her as a "San Fransisco Liberal" extremist. 

I don’t find her to be an extremist; I do find her to be effective, tenacious, and a very good leader. I personally think that whatever successes President Obama has had in Congress have been due primarily to Nancy Pelosi. When the Bush administration pleaded with Congress to pass TARP, without Pelosi we would have had a financial meltdown. In her four year tenure as the first women Speaker of the House, Congress passed the Stimulus, Health Care reform, Wall Street reform, the expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to name just a few of their legislative accomplishments. As the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson put it in a piece he wrote on Pelosi's time as Speaker, "To string together a couple of sports cliches, she came to play and she left it all on the field."

Of course in politics, what's right is not always what's popular, and the greatest legislators are those who are willing put the interest of the public before their own political interests. I just wish that more individuals would give outgoing Speaker Pelosi the credit and respect she’s due.