Harry Reid Pulls the Spending Bill: Was the 111th Congress the WORST Congress Ever?
December 16, 2010 4 Comments
ATLANTA— I’m no Congressional historian, but I have to imagine the 111th Congress will ultimately be rated among the worst in our nation’s history. And what a way to finish! Hustling to shove through another highly controversial, 1,900 page bill just ahead of the holidays. Barely able to pull together enough votes to pass it. Same story- different year. Thank goodness Harry Reid pulled this $1.3 trillion boondoggle. But too bad so many other bad bills slipped through under his watch. The degree of incompetence with which Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have run Congress is truly breathtaking. They took a filibuster-proof majority in both houses and managed to completely alienate the American public. And still liberals praise them! Let’s take a look at their major “achievements”:
The economic stimulus bill promised to hold unemployment at 8 percent. Unemployment shot past 8 percent shortly after its passage and has remained significantly higher ever since. Less than 30 percent of Americans believe the stimulus plan was helpful.
The health-care bill promised to hold down long-term health care costs and not disrupt people’s current coverage. Subsequent to passage, the Centers for MediCare and MediCaid Services announced the plan will actually drive up costs and hurt coverage. 60 percent of Americans now favor repeal.
The Dodd-Frank financial reform bill promised to save us from future financial calamity while simultaneously ending predatory financial services fees. The bill has added inexplicable gobs of regulation to the financial services sector, but the results will be difficult to judge. 54 percent of Americans are already dissatisfied with the legislation.
My guess is that what this Congress will be remembered for most is that they have actually added to, rather than subtracted from the nation’s dire unemployment numbers. They have done so through the incredible legislative uncertainty around taxes that they created, through making employing workers more expensive in the health care law, through stifling regulation in the Dodd-Frank bill, and through endless unemployment subsidies via the stimulus plan and other spending bills. And worst of all, they did so with the American people stalwartly opposing them all along the way.
Good riddance to the 111th. Bring on the 112th!
About Stephen VanNuys
Brooklyn Daniel
Stephen VanNuys
TennesseePaul
The Freedom Thinker
Well, the Tax Cut extension bill just passed… and Harry Reid dropped the spending. So there it is. Less taxes and a 1.2 Trillion dollar single year reduction in spending!
Actually, this current Congress was quite effective – provided you recognize their goals. The welfare of America had nothing to do with most of their agenda; their purpose was to solidify the power of the Ruling Class and to subjugate the citizens of the United States and they very nearly completely pulled it off. Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Schumer and many other “leaders” of the Democratic party should be removed from their positions of authority at the earliest possible opportunity. The electorate has finally awakened to their plans to destroy America’s strength on the international scene and their clumsily-disguised Socialist/Communist revolution on the domestic side.
Yes, there have been some initial positive steps made, but unless we the people continue to hold the politicians’ feet to the fire through immediate and overwhelming rejection of “business as usual”, corruption, indolence and ethical denial, reform will be slowly deflated.
Republicans need to spearhead the charge to restore fiscal order to America. There is no room left for the conciliatory, RINO advocates and their attitudes of appeasement. Listen and respond to the public or prepare to fold your privileged tent and slink out of Washington.
Actually, this current Congress was quite effective – provided you recognize their goals. … their purpose was to solidify the power of the Ruling Class
I don’t know Main, if their goal was to solidify the power of the Ruling Class, (namely themselves), they failed at that as well. They’ve lost power across the nation and are staring down the barrel of potentially being 100% swept out of power after only 6 short years.
Depends on how many of their “successes” can be reversed (Obamacare, increased regulatory power, judicial appointments, control of the media, etc.). The public cannot afford to rest on the results of the November elections, but must continue to keep up the pressure for reform not only on the newly-elected, but also on the garbage that was allowed to keep their seats.
The fight has only just begun and could be allowed to fizzle out (see today’s post on http://www.mainenowandthen.wordpress.com/).