Obstructing Progress

On April 23^rd, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid [D-NV] said that in the next five weeks until the Memorial Day recess, the Senate will “tackle a hefty legislative agenda that includes bills to rein in predatory practices in the housing and credit card industries and a reform of government procurement.” House Speaker Nancy Pulaski [D-CA] said, “The three pillars of the president’s budget education, energy and health care have already been advanced down the field to a significant extent in the first three months.”

The optimistic tone of the Democratic leaders in Congress, however, is not shared by their counterparts in the Republican [do nothing] party. House Minority Leader John Boehner [R-OH] yesterday that, in the last four months, “its become clear that the idea of bipartisanship was a ruse. “ However, the seeming lack of bipartisanship isn’t a result of the Obama administration’s lack of trying. Congressional Republicans have done little but delay key executive branch nominees and attempt to block key legislation, while failing to offer any alternative ideas of their own.

Since January, Congress has expanded access to health care for low income children through the passage of SCHIP expansion, laid the ground work for economic recovery with the passage of Obama’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and passed a budget resolution that demonstrated the Obama intention to push for real progressive changes.

Source: The Progress Report, April 24, 2009