Pushed to the Edge, The Senate Leaps Off; No Senator Injured
Guy T. Sturino
December 23, 2005
Have you ever gone to a movie you wish you hadn’t, but you knew that to have missed it would have been worse? Well, I just finished watching three days of the U.S. Senate, and what I saw and heard was both riveting and repulsive. As irritating and angering as it was, I wish that every American citizen was required to watch and listen as those we have elected speak for us go about the business of ensuring our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. My own view of the proceedings was from a seat in the center of the middle class gallery. This perspective, of course, has a lot to do with how I feel about what I experienced.
During these three days in the Senate several pieces of legislation were considered. There was the Patriot Act Conference Report, the Deficit Reduction Conference Report, the Defense Appropriations Conference Report, and the Defense Authorization Conference Report. Because the Senators insisted on speaking about whichever legislation interested them, regardless of which one was supposed to be under consideration at the moment, it was easy to get lost trying to keep straight which item was improperly added to which conference report. And, just maybe that was the point.
On Monday, Senator Byrd’s speech, “No President is Above the Law”, was a moment to remember, as was Senator Boxer’s speech on Tuesday evening on the same subject. They brought up the same welling up of pride for the American way as movie goers experienced watching Jim Carey’s speech in The Majestic, or Gregory Peck’s closing argument in To Kill A Mocking Bird. Then there was Senator Dorgan, who spoke eloquently for the American worker and Senator Durbin who pointed out the reversals in separation of church and state in education through a national voucher program for Katrina victims.
Senator Byrd made another speech about following the rules of the Senate, particularly Rule 28 which states that no item which has not been previously agreed upon either in the Senate or in the House may be added to any bill in conference. Senator Kerry also spoke to this issue along with several others. None, however was more outraged over the behind the scenes machinations than Senator McCain who, in red faced anger, enumerated the items his staff had found in the conference report, which was much too long for any one person to read and comprehend in the time allotted.
In the end, however, the speeches rang somewhat hollow as the speakers voted and bills were passed, albeit with some of the problem areas reconciled, still containing items not previously discussed and certainly not agreed with by the majority of either house. It made me think again about what I had witnessed over the past three days. What I saw was a mugging by a gang of thugs with brass knuckles, knives and bacteriological weapons.
The procedural ability to object to the presentation of a bill or amendment, or even a resolution, was used as brass knuckles to keep Senators from being heard, and issues from being discussed. Items were inserted in committee reports against Senate rules and used as knives to the throat in order to get votes for less damaging, but still seriously injurious legislation. Using ANWAR as the knife to the throat, to get some Senators to accept the loss of a little finger, managed to keep other provisions in the “Deficit Reduction Act” which were never approved by either the House or the Senate.
That’s where the biological weapon was released. It came in the form of denying Americans the right to use the courts to recover damages from the pharmaceutical industry. This type of assault is particularly insidious, because it hides in the civic body without symptoms. No pain, no discomfort, no problem – until you need to use the court and find the doors closed and locked.
When the fight was over, the victims were not those Senators who spoke out against the legislation that was passed. The victims are the constituents of each and every participant in the fight. No one with an income above middle class even got bruised. In fact, while cutting the legs out from under the poorest to show a $40 Billion “deficit reduction”, a $70 Billion tax cut was enacted for the benefit of millionaires and above.
When the smoke cleared, the Patriot Act Conference Report was successfully filibustered and the existing Patriot Act was extended for six months. The Deficit Reduction Conference Report, (more appropriately called the Sheriff of Nottingham Success Story) which Vice President Cheney passed with his personal tie breaking vote, was passed with just enough changes to require it to be reconsidered by the House. The ANWAR provision was stripped from the Defense Appropriations Conference Report, but as passed still contained items in conflict with Rule 28. It too returns to the House. The Defense Authorization Conference Report passed and I did not see or hear about anything problematic buried in it.
Another piece of legislation was discussed on the floor of the Senate concerning the Intelligence Committee funding. Although there are several issues for this committee to be investigating with regard to its mission of congressional oversight, I did not see that it was passed. Although Senator Frist many times accused the minority of obstruction, not allowing this committee to fulfill its mission appears to me to be a shameful display of arrogant power.
The House met briefly today to pass a five week extension of the Patriot Act which the Senate will have to take up this evening. The battle continues. I will continue to watch, and I can only hope that many others watch as well. Our legislature, during the past five years, has bloodied the middle class with legislation which consistently reduces their discretional spending by increasing the cost of necessities. Whether those congressional champions, who are never so much as bruised by the results of the battle, will ever prevail on behalf of the middle class and the poor is highly doubtful in today’s political environment. We can only be grateful that they continue fighting.
A lot of questions about specifics have been left unanswered here. Anyone who doesn’t already have the answers will have to look them up. Good! That’s the best thing that could happen.
I sincerely believe that if everyone was required to pay attention to what is being done in their name by those they have elected to serve, the political landscape would change as quickly as being washed away by a tsunami. However, as long as a majority of Americans consider their daily lives too important to interrupt in order to be well informed, we will continue to get exactly what we collectively deserve.
Next November the whole House and a third of the Senate need our permission to continue looking out for us. Things can be changed if everyone pays attention to what Congress is doing in our name Who the nation picks to serve will take us where we want to go -- or not.
Our fate really is in our own hands.
During these three days in the Senate several pieces of legislation were considered. There was the Patriot Act Conference Report, the Deficit Reduction Conference Report, the Defense Appropriations Conference Report, and the Defense Authorization Conference Report. Because the Senators insisted on speaking about whichever legislation interested them, regardless of which one was supposed to be under consideration at the moment, it was easy to get lost trying to keep straight which item was improperly added to which conference report. And, just maybe that was the point.
On Monday, Senator Byrd’s speech, “No President is Above the Law”, was a moment to remember, as was Senator Boxer’s speech on Tuesday evening on the same subject. They brought up the same welling up of pride for the American way as movie goers experienced watching Jim Carey’s speech in The Majestic, or Gregory Peck’s closing argument in To Kill A Mocking Bird. Then there was Senator Dorgan, who spoke eloquently for the American worker and Senator Durbin who pointed out the reversals in separation of church and state in education through a national voucher program for Katrina victims.
Senator Byrd made another speech about following the rules of the Senate, particularly Rule 28 which states that no item which has not been previously agreed upon either in the Senate or in the House may be added to any bill in conference. Senator Kerry also spoke to this issue along with several others. None, however was more outraged over the behind the scenes machinations than Senator McCain who, in red faced anger, enumerated the items his staff had found in the conference report, which was much too long for any one person to read and comprehend in the time allotted.
In the end, however, the speeches rang somewhat hollow as the speakers voted and bills were passed, albeit with some of the problem areas reconciled, still containing items not previously discussed and certainly not agreed with by the majority of either house. It made me think again about what I had witnessed over the past three days. What I saw was a mugging by a gang of thugs with brass knuckles, knives and bacteriological weapons.
The procedural ability to object to the presentation of a bill or amendment, or even a resolution, was used as brass knuckles to keep Senators from being heard, and issues from being discussed. Items were inserted in committee reports against Senate rules and used as knives to the throat in order to get votes for less damaging, but still seriously injurious legislation. Using ANWAR as the knife to the throat, to get some Senators to accept the loss of a little finger, managed to keep other provisions in the “Deficit Reduction Act” which were never approved by either the House or the Senate.
That’s where the biological weapon was released. It came in the form of denying Americans the right to use the courts to recover damages from the pharmaceutical industry. This type of assault is particularly insidious, because it hides in the civic body without symptoms. No pain, no discomfort, no problem – until you need to use the court and find the doors closed and locked.
When the fight was over, the victims were not those Senators who spoke out against the legislation that was passed. The victims are the constituents of each and every participant in the fight. No one with an income above middle class even got bruised. In fact, while cutting the legs out from under the poorest to show a $40 Billion “deficit reduction”, a $70 Billion tax cut was enacted for the benefit of millionaires and above.
When the smoke cleared, the Patriot Act Conference Report was successfully filibustered and the existing Patriot Act was extended for six months. The Deficit Reduction Conference Report, (more appropriately called the Sheriff of Nottingham Success Story) which Vice President Cheney passed with his personal tie breaking vote, was passed with just enough changes to require it to be reconsidered by the House. The ANWAR provision was stripped from the Defense Appropriations Conference Report, but as passed still contained items in conflict with Rule 28. It too returns to the House. The Defense Authorization Conference Report passed and I did not see or hear about anything problematic buried in it.
Another piece of legislation was discussed on the floor of the Senate concerning the Intelligence Committee funding. Although there are several issues for this committee to be investigating with regard to its mission of congressional oversight, I did not see that it was passed. Although Senator Frist many times accused the minority of obstruction, not allowing this committee to fulfill its mission appears to me to be a shameful display of arrogant power.
The House met briefly today to pass a five week extension of the Patriot Act which the Senate will have to take up this evening. The battle continues. I will continue to watch, and I can only hope that many others watch as well. Our legislature, during the past five years, has bloodied the middle class with legislation which consistently reduces their discretional spending by increasing the cost of necessities. Whether those congressional champions, who are never so much as bruised by the results of the battle, will ever prevail on behalf of the middle class and the poor is highly doubtful in today’s political environment. We can only be grateful that they continue fighting.
A lot of questions about specifics have been left unanswered here. Anyone who doesn’t already have the answers will have to look them up. Good! That’s the best thing that could happen.
I sincerely believe that if everyone was required to pay attention to what is being done in their name by those they have elected to serve, the political landscape would change as quickly as being washed away by a tsunami. However, as long as a majority of Americans consider their daily lives too important to interrupt in order to be well informed, we will continue to get exactly what we collectively deserve.
Next November the whole House and a third of the Senate need our permission to continue looking out for us. Things can be changed if everyone pays attention to what Congress is doing in our name Who the nation picks to serve will take us where we want to go -- or not.
Our fate really is in our own hands.
Print
Email
