Republicans had a real opportunity to show leadership, unity, and fiscal discipline. I guess it's not surprising that they completely botched it. The blatant genuflection at the alter of pork is especially disgusting given that these same Republicans promised they would not pull the same antics as Democrats. In fact, they passed a resolution promising to hold the line on spending (passed along party lines). I think voters will crucify them for "saying anything to get the tax cut done."
They seem to be a big part of the sag in GWB's poll ratings. And, with all the rhetoric about needing to accommodate their constituents' interests, things are going to get worse. I guess they'll just use Jr for their specific agenda and then toss him aside when they're done. They got their tax cut, now they want to keep spending too. At least the Democrats don't lie about the fact that they want to spend.
06/29 00:01
Bush Suffers String of Losses as Congress Pushes Its Own Agenda
By Laura Litvan
Washington, June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Dozens of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have joined Democrats to deal President George W. Bush a string of losses this month, as members heed their own interests instead of his.
Bush has suffered eight defeats in the past eight days on issues as varied as oil exploration, AIDS and trade.
House Republicans, who voted almost unanimously with Bush on the budget and taxes, say they have to pay attention to what the voters want, not just to what Bush wants.
``If we follow his ideology exclusively, we could risk losing our seats and Republicans could lose the House,'' said Representative Mark Foley, a Florida Republican who voted against drilling off Florida's coast.
Public opinion polls show that Bush's goals and the voters' wishes are increasingly at odds. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll taken June 23-25 found that Bush's approval rating has slipped to 50 percent, the lowest presidential rating in five years. By margins ranging from 6 percentage points to 37 points, those surveyed said Democrats would do a better job handling energy, health care, education, Medicare, Social Security and the economy. The poll had an error margin of 3.5 percentage points.
White House officials say it's too early to draw conclusions about how Bush's policies will fare in Congress. ``Polls don't bother us,'' Chief of Staff Andrew Card said. ``It's still a healthy debate in Congress, and the president is focused on the big picture.''
Bush supporters note that no president gets everything he wants, especially on the annual spending bills. They also say any recent congressional defeats pale against Bush's success in pushing through his signature plan -- a $1.35 trillion tax cut.
The Setbacks
Bush's defeats in Congress over the past eight days include:
-- On June 21, the House handed Bush back-to-back defeats on legislation to fund the Interior Department. The House voted 247- 164 to bar the government from leasing land off the coast of Florida for oil and gas exploration, as Bush had intended to do. Seventy Republicans voted against the drilling.
The House then voted 242-173 to block Bush from offering leases to drill on national monument grounds. Forty-seven Republicans opposed the president on that vote.
-- On June 26, the House voted 285-143 to bar Mexican trucks from operating in the U.S., dealing a setback to Bush's efforts to boost trade with Mexico. Eighty-two Republicans joined Democrats in opposing Bush.
Export Loans
-- On June 27, a House Appropriations subcommittee voted to give the Export-Import Bank $118 million more in funding than Bush had proposed. The president had called for a 25 percent cut in the lender's budget so spending on his priorities could be increased while keeping overall spending within 4 percent of last year's budget.
-- On June 27, the House International Relations Committee authorized spending $1.36 billion next year to fight AIDS, more than double the $569 million that Bush wanted to spend.
-- On June 28, the House passed a $23.7 billion energy and water projects bill that provided $1.2 billion more than Bush wanted. The bill rejected Bush's proposal for a 36 percent reduction in spending on research into renewable energy sources.
Bush suffered a second defeat on the bill when the House voted 265-117 for an amendment blocking his plan for oil drilling under the Great Lakes. Seventy Republicans voted against Bush.
Forced to Compromise
On other issues, Bush has been forced to back down in the face of possible defeat.
On June 18, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted 5- 0 to impose more price controls on wholesale electricity sold in California and 10 other western states. FERC acted under pressure from House Republicans who said they were worried that Bush's opposition to price caps would be interpreted by voters as indifference. Bush ultimately gave his support to the FERC action.
On June 21, House Republican leaders said they were drafting their own version of legislation allowing patients to sue their health care providers for malpractice in state and federal court. The proposal went further than Bush had wanted to go in allowing suits, though it was closer to his view than the Senate bill he threatened to veto. A week later, Bush embraced the House Republican plan as a compromise.
Bush scored one victory this month when the House resisted attempts to increase the size of a $6.5 billion supplemental spending request. The House later sided with the president when it voted to limit emergency farm relief this year to $5.5 billion over the objection of the Agriculture Committee, which wanted a higher figure.
Record of One's Own
Some House Republicans say that while they had no trouble standing with Bush on fiscal issues, they can't or won't abandon long-held views on the environment, labor and spending issues.
``Many of us in the House have voting records on these issues,'' said Representative Jack Quinn, New York Republican. ``It's difficult to change your voting record because someone new is in the White House.''
Other lawmakers say the White House recognizes the problem and has changed its approach. Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri said the White House is reaching out more and more to rank-and- file Republicans.
Quinn said he's noticed a change in recent weeks. He's received six phone calls in the last two weeks from White House staffers to discuss his opinion on issues. This week, he had breakfast with Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and was one of 20 Republican House lawmakers invited to the White House to discuss the patients' bill of rights.
The new approach will be tested soon after Congress returns from its Independence Day recess July 9. The House will then face votes on the patients' rights legislation, an overhaul of campaign finance laws and several budget bills.
©2001 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Trademarks.
Link
They seem to be a big part of the sag in GWB's poll ratings. And, with all the rhetoric about needing to accommodate their constituents' interests, things are going to get worse. I guess they'll just use Jr for their specific agenda and then toss him aside when they're done. They got their tax cut, now they want to keep spending too. At least the Democrats don't lie about the fact that they want to spend.
06/29 00:01
Bush Suffers String of Losses as Congress Pushes Its Own Agenda
By Laura Litvan
Washington, June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Dozens of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have joined Democrats to deal President George W. Bush a string of losses this month, as members heed their own interests instead of his.
Bush has suffered eight defeats in the past eight days on issues as varied as oil exploration, AIDS and trade.
House Republicans, who voted almost unanimously with Bush on the budget and taxes, say they have to pay attention to what the voters want, not just to what Bush wants.
``If we follow his ideology exclusively, we could risk losing our seats and Republicans could lose the House,'' said Representative Mark Foley, a Florida Republican who voted against drilling off Florida's coast.
Public opinion polls show that Bush's goals and the voters' wishes are increasingly at odds. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll taken June 23-25 found that Bush's approval rating has slipped to 50 percent, the lowest presidential rating in five years. By margins ranging from 6 percentage points to 37 points, those surveyed said Democrats would do a better job handling energy, health care, education, Medicare, Social Security and the economy. The poll had an error margin of 3.5 percentage points.
White House officials say it's too early to draw conclusions about how Bush's policies will fare in Congress. ``Polls don't bother us,'' Chief of Staff Andrew Card said. ``It's still a healthy debate in Congress, and the president is focused on the big picture.''
Bush supporters note that no president gets everything he wants, especially on the annual spending bills. They also say any recent congressional defeats pale against Bush's success in pushing through his signature plan -- a $1.35 trillion tax cut.
The Setbacks
Bush's defeats in Congress over the past eight days include:
-- On June 21, the House handed Bush back-to-back defeats on legislation to fund the Interior Department. The House voted 247- 164 to bar the government from leasing land off the coast of Florida for oil and gas exploration, as Bush had intended to do. Seventy Republicans voted against the drilling.
The House then voted 242-173 to block Bush from offering leases to drill on national monument grounds. Forty-seven Republicans opposed the president on that vote.
-- On June 26, the House voted 285-143 to bar Mexican trucks from operating in the U.S., dealing a setback to Bush's efforts to boost trade with Mexico. Eighty-two Republicans joined Democrats in opposing Bush.
Export Loans
-- On June 27, a House Appropriations subcommittee voted to give the Export-Import Bank $118 million more in funding than Bush had proposed. The president had called for a 25 percent cut in the lender's budget so spending on his priorities could be increased while keeping overall spending within 4 percent of last year's budget.
-- On June 27, the House International Relations Committee authorized spending $1.36 billion next year to fight AIDS, more than double the $569 million that Bush wanted to spend.
-- On June 28, the House passed a $23.7 billion energy and water projects bill that provided $1.2 billion more than Bush wanted. The bill rejected Bush's proposal for a 36 percent reduction in spending on research into renewable energy sources.
Bush suffered a second defeat on the bill when the House voted 265-117 for an amendment blocking his plan for oil drilling under the Great Lakes. Seventy Republicans voted against Bush.
Forced to Compromise
On other issues, Bush has been forced to back down in the face of possible defeat.
On June 18, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted 5- 0 to impose more price controls on wholesale electricity sold in California and 10 other western states. FERC acted under pressure from House Republicans who said they were worried that Bush's opposition to price caps would be interpreted by voters as indifference. Bush ultimately gave his support to the FERC action.
On June 21, House Republican leaders said they were drafting their own version of legislation allowing patients to sue their health care providers for malpractice in state and federal court. The proposal went further than Bush had wanted to go in allowing suits, though it was closer to his view than the Senate bill he threatened to veto. A week later, Bush embraced the House Republican plan as a compromise.
Bush scored one victory this month when the House resisted attempts to increase the size of a $6.5 billion supplemental spending request. The House later sided with the president when it voted to limit emergency farm relief this year to $5.5 billion over the objection of the Agriculture Committee, which wanted a higher figure.
Record of One's Own
Some House Republicans say that while they had no trouble standing with Bush on fiscal issues, they can't or won't abandon long-held views on the environment, labor and spending issues.
``Many of us in the House have voting records on these issues,'' said Representative Jack Quinn, New York Republican. ``It's difficult to change your voting record because someone new is in the White House.''
Other lawmakers say the White House recognizes the problem and has changed its approach. Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri said the White House is reaching out more and more to rank-and- file Republicans.
Quinn said he's noticed a change in recent weeks. He's received six phone calls in the last two weeks from White House staffers to discuss his opinion on issues. This week, he had breakfast with Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and was one of 20 Republican House lawmakers invited to the White House to discuss the patients' bill of rights.
The new approach will be tested soon after Congress returns from its Independence Day recess July 9. The House will then face votes on the patients' rights legislation, an overhaul of campaign finance laws and several budget bills.
©2001 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Trademarks.
Link
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