Congress is Adjourned, Decides to Campaign Instead

With just 5 weeks left in the campaign period before voters decide the fate of aspiring lawmakers, members of the US Congress are rushing up things in order to proceed with their different campaign events. Instead of taking up major issues such as Bush-era tax cuts and coming up with a comprehensive budget, congressmen and senators are more than willing to face the anger of their constituents and seek for their votes. There are actually numerous politicians who are seeking reelection and our counting on their campaign efforts to convince disgusted and uninspired voters to give them another chance.

With recent polls pointing to an impending Republican victory this November, Democratic congressional leaders decided to postpone their voting of the controversial tax cuts and other requests for spending by President Barack Obama. Instead, they passed a temporary bill which will assure them that the government will be running until the midterm elections. Because of these, several politicians from the Democratic and Republican Party have joined hands in protesting before Congress. They argue that these lawmakers should stay in session and continue with their work instead of facing their voting constituents before the November polls.

Despite of intense pressure and a string of protests, the session was still adjourned thanks to one vote. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is expecting a tight reelection bid in Nevada against Republican candidate Sharron Angle, mentioned the following words, “All 100 senators want to get out of here and get back to their states”. Candidates for the November polls most especially Democrats are so eager to face the voting population and convince them that their reelection or appointment will easily translate into a productive economy and a better society.

Late Wednesday, the Senate was able to approve the temporary spending bill with 69 “yes” votes as opposed to 30 “no” votes. Hours later, the House also voted with a 228-194 result. It will now await Pres. Obama’s signature for it to be signed into law. During the last few months, we saw Obama’s tough stance towards expiring tax cuts for people earning more than $250,000 a year. But several moderate and conservative Democrats are now joining Republicans in calling for the extension of tax cuts regardless of income. It is now unclear whether Democrats are really in favor of extending them or follow Obama’s agenda instead.

Americans will have to wait till November if Congress pushes for the extension of these tax cuts. If no bill is passed by the end of December, American households are expecting to face higher rates of taxes. It is interesting to know that only two of a dozen annual appropriations bills have passed the House this year. None of those has passed the Senate as Democratic leaders have opted against lengthy floor debates and politically difficult votes on spending. Out of desperation, our lawmakers are going home while leaving unfinished business behind.