Obstruction or Failure? Democrats Account for Slow Pace of Promises Fulfilled

June 29, 2007 — -- The Fourth of July, complete with fireworks and picnics celebrating American independence, will hold added meaning this year. It marks the six-month anniversary of the day Democrats took control of the gavels in both the House and the Senate for the first time in 12 years. On that front, for Democrats looking to highlight their accomplishments, there will be less to celebrate.

And, according to Democratic leaders, there is one reason: the Republicans. Specifically Republicans in the Senate who, because of the parliamentary rules there, can block most legislation.

In the face of leaving for the Independence Day work period on a down note after failing to pass an immigration reform bill in the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., held a press conference today to highlight their legislative accomplishments so far.

Campaign Promises, Congressional Delivery

But they faced more questions about what they haven't yet been able to accomplish.

"Because of Republican obstruction I'm not very happy with Congress right now either," said Pelosi, responding to a question about falling public confidence in Congress.

While Democrats have worked to enact the various legislation they promised during the 2006 campaign, they've had meager success getting the big policy shift bills they sold during 2006 midterm election season signed into law. In the case of comprehensive immigration reform, senators this week weren't even able to move toward a vote on a bill.

Reid pointed out that President Bush signed a minimum wage increase into law as part of a troop funding bill and gave more money for Katrina relief and veterans care. He also highlighted Democratic success in revamping the selection process for U.S. attorneys and putting a new focus on the Iraq War with nearly 100 oversight hearings.

Success and Failure of Campaign Initiatives

But he could not avoid the fact that Democrats have been unable to succeed on some of their bigger initiatives.

On Iraq, they have been unable to start a phased redeployment of troops despite an intense focus on Iraq in Congress during the past six months and couldn't circumvent the president's veto pen.

With regards to immigration, another big-ticket item, they could not get past the Senate GOP.

It has been a similar story so far enacting ethics and lobby reform, and the full recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Versions of both have passed both chambers, but languish in limbo as Reid tries to get Senate Republicans to sign off on a process to reconcile the differences between the bills in the House or the Senate.

The confrontational trend is not likely to end.

Upon Return From Recess

When they return from their break, Pelosi and Reid both plan to offer new resolutions calling for Bush to withdraw troops from Iraq. Pelosi said she will offer the same measure that Bush vetoed earlier this year as part of the bill that funded the Iraq War.

"We have many arrows in our quiver and we are sharpening them," said Pelosi.

"The Republicans have the 60-vote barrier. The president has the pen. But we have the support of the American people, who want this war to come to an end," she said.

In July, Pelosi said, "we will be introducing legislation similar to what we sent to the president's desk before, which instructs the secretary of defense to begin the responsible redeployment of our troops to begin no later than 120 days, and to be completed no later than April 1 of 2008, with certain exceptions, in fighting al Qaeda and protecting our embassy and our troops who are there for that reason."

Reid said Democrats could potentially start with votes on the Defense Authorization Bill July 9, the day they return from congressional recess. He said they are still determining what exactly to offer in the way of a new Iraq proposal.

The Iraq Factor

Because of Iraq, voters will not solely blame congressional Democrats come election time, argued Reid, even if they cannot get all of their bills enacted.

"People are down on government for a lot of reasons, but the main reason is Iraq," said Reid.

He said that while he doesn't put a lot of stock in the polling data that conveys the American public's abysmally low levels of approval of Congress. Despite that distrust of polls, his party employed John Kerry's 2004 pollster, Mark Mellman, to run approval numbers for them. Reid said they revealed that frustration with Congress has more to do with the president and Iraq.

"When, historically, you find you have a president that is very, very unpopular, you have a party that is not with the president's own party, it doesn't affect election time," Reid said.

The Legacy of the 110th Congress

But if his rhetoric is any indication, Reid does have some concerns about the way the 110th Congress will be seen and remembered. Reid threatened to keep senators in session over their upcoming August recess if Republicans don't relent and allow the appointment of conferees on the ethics reform bill and the 9/11 commission recommendations.

Republicans objected to the appointment of either set of conferees. They have also generally objected to the 9/11 conference because they want a promise from Democrats that "veto bait" will be taken out of it before it passes.

Reid promised the Senate GOP to keep extraneous measures out of the lobbying reform bill in conference and seemed ready to appoint the conferees, but an emboldened Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has objected all by his lonesome. He wants a guarantee that some earmark disclosure language he wrote won't be changed in conference. Reid won't give that to him.

For their part, Republicans say Reid should have started trying to appoint conferees much sooner. Both the 9/11 Commission recommendations bill and the ethics bill passed months ago.

"Crocodile tears over being slowed down is a direct result of this sitting on the shelf for six months," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's spokesman Don Stewart in off-camera remarks.

Senate Republicans contend that GOP obstruction in Congress is the result of Democrats unwilling to work with Republicans to find middle ground on legislation and Republicans have no other choice but to object to it.