A Fairer House
Congressman
Tom Petri
Tom Petri
January 17, 2007
A new day has dawned with the start of the 110th Congress on Jan. 4. It's not exactly the new day I would have preferred, since control of the institution switched to the Democrats, but I was happy to accept the invitation of the new Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, to have a ceremonial photo taken with her to mark my swearing-in for the two years ahead.
Putting politics aside, the election of the first woman Speaker is a significant milestone for equal opportunity, and surely all Americans join me in congratulating her for this singular achievement.
But then, this is Congress, and around here you can't put politics aside for long. Nor should you. Politics is the process through which a free republic functions. And if we can keep the participants reasonably honest and civil, the results are usually pretty good over the long run.
Unfortunately, many people find it a major challenge to be civil in politics. In legislative bodies it's all-too-typical for the minority party to feel abused, often with very good reason. Naturally, the minority complains bitterly - only to continue the pattern when, after elections, it eventually gains control.
A case in point: During the campaign season, Rep. Pelosi and her team promised that, if they won the majority, they would run a fairer House in which normal legislative procedures would be followed and the minority party would have the opportunity to be
heard. But now that they have won control, they are focused on an ambitious legislative package that they want to pass quickly. And so, to quote a Washington Post editorial, when it comes to minority-party rights the new leaders "have decided not to bother with that, nor to let Republicans offer amendments on the floor, nor even to put a GOP alternative up for a vote. This is exactly the kind of high-handed mistreatment that Democrats complained about, justifiably, when they were in the minority."
One of the high points on the House floor Jan. 4 was when a Republican member tried to get Speaker Pelosi to agree to abide by a minority party bill of rights that she, herself, had advocated when she was in the minority. Of course, the Republican got nowhere - which is exactly where Ms. Pelosi got when she was merely the Minority Leader.
The Democrats promise to start matching their actions to their rhetoric once they get their big, initial legislative package through the House. But that package contains some very complex, controversial proposals which should, one would think, be considered fully rather than being rushed forward to beat an artificial deadline.
Are both sides in this dispute being hypocritical? Of course. But they are each playing their assigned roles - the majority is trying to get its agenda done while the loyal opposition is trying to check arrogance and bullying.
Does that mean we should simply laugh at this legislative dance, and otherwise forget about it? Not at all. The public and the media have a serious role to play.
The Washington Post is playing it well by exposing the new House leadership's backtracking on its campaign promise to run a fairer House. And, since fair is fair, the media should also comment when the minority becomes too obstructionist. When the public is properly informed and engaged, we are most likely to find the right balance.
Despite the temptations which push Congress toward acrimony, I am urging my colleagues to recommit to free, open and civil debate in order to find real solutions to the country's problems. The need for serious, honest hard work in Congress was one of the key directives I believe the voters were trying to send last November, and I am optimistic that the message will get through.
Putting politics aside, the election of the first woman Speaker is a significant milestone for equal opportunity, and surely all Americans join me in congratulating her for this singular achievement.
But then, this is Congress, and around here you can't put politics aside for long. Nor should you. Politics is the process through which a free republic functions. And if we can keep the participants reasonably honest and civil, the results are usually pretty good over the long run.
Unfortunately, many people find it a major challenge to be civil in politics. In legislative bodies it's all-too-typical for the minority party to feel abused, often with very good reason. Naturally, the minority complains bitterly - only to continue the pattern when, after elections, it eventually gains control.
A case in point: During the campaign season, Rep. Pelosi and her team promised that, if they won the majority, they would run a fairer House in which normal legislative procedures would be followed and the minority party would have the opportunity to be
heard. But now that they have won control, they are focused on an ambitious legislative package that they want to pass quickly. And so, to quote a Washington Post editorial, when it comes to minority-party rights the new leaders "have decided not to bother with that, nor to let Republicans offer amendments on the floor, nor even to put a GOP alternative up for a vote. This is exactly the kind of high-handed mistreatment that Democrats complained about, justifiably, when they were in the minority."
One of the high points on the House floor Jan. 4 was when a Republican member tried to get Speaker Pelosi to agree to abide by a minority party bill of rights that she, herself, had advocated when she was in the minority. Of course, the Republican got nowhere - which is exactly where Ms. Pelosi got when she was merely the Minority Leader.
The Democrats promise to start matching their actions to their rhetoric once they get their big, initial legislative package through the House. But that package contains some very complex, controversial proposals which should, one would think, be considered fully rather than being rushed forward to beat an artificial deadline.
Are both sides in this dispute being hypocritical? Of course. But they are each playing their assigned roles - the majority is trying to get its agenda done while the loyal opposition is trying to check arrogance and bullying.
Does that mean we should simply laugh at this legislative dance, and otherwise forget about it? Not at all. The public and the media have a serious role to play.
The Washington Post is playing it well by exposing the new House leadership's backtracking on its campaign promise to run a fairer House. And, since fair is fair, the media should also comment when the minority becomes too obstructionist. When the public is properly informed and engaged, we are most likely to find the right balance.
Despite the temptations which push Congress toward acrimony, I am urging my colleagues to recommit to free, open and civil debate in order to find real solutions to the country's problems. The need for serious, honest hard work in Congress was one of the key directives I believe the voters were trying to send last November, and I am optimistic that the message will get through.
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