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| Sen. Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Congress last week. Andy Nelson - staff |
Congress scrambles to show voters results
It passed several laws before its recess. A showdown over the Iraq war looms in September.
By Gail Russell Chaddock | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the August 6, 2007 edition
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Washington - Since Democrats took control of Congress seven months ago, they provoked several showdowns over the Iraq war and fired off hundreds of probes of the Bush administration. But until recently they passed few laws.
As Congress's approval ratings hover near record lows, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were under the gun to produce something before their August recess – and they did, passing bills ranging from lobbying and ethics to healthcare and homeland security.
"It's not a do-nothing Congress," says Julian Zelizer, a congressional historian at Princeton University. "There is very tough partisanship in the Congress and civility is at a low point, but the Democrats have been able to get a lot of legislation on the table. They've changed the debate over what Congress has to consider and put a lot of pressure on Republicans to bend on some issues, such as Iraq and the war."
Democrats had promised action on the Iraq war when they were swept into power after 12 years of GOP control. But they have yet to tie war funding to conditions on ending the war or redeploying US forces. That fight will have to wait until September.
Before Congress adjourned early Sunday morning, House Democrats passed a $459.6 billion defense spending bill for fiscal year 2008, two energy bills, $250 million to repair the collapsed bridge in Minneapolis, and a measure to expand health coverage for poor children, which President Bush has threatened to veto.
Over the objections of Democratic leaders, both the House and Senate also voted to give Mr. Bush more power in a controversial terrorist surveillance program.
After months of gridlock, Congress also sent to Bush's desk sweeping ethics and lobby reform. Last week, Bush signed into law recommendations of the 9/11 commission that had failed to pass in the past, including expanded screening of cargo.
"It took a lot longer than we had hoped for, but with the passage of this bill, about 80 percent of our recommendations have been put into law," says former Rep. Lee Hamilton, vice chairman of the 9/11 commission.
The public is frustrated that Congress has been slow to move on important issues. Only 27 percent of Americans say they approve of the way Congress is handling its job, according to a recent Gallup Poll. But the rating for GOP lawmakers is even lower than that for Democrats. GOP approval ratings have dropped six points in the past month to 18 percent – the lowest level since Bush took office in 2001, according to the survey released July 24.
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