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.

Obama’s New Education Agenda: Longer School Year and Higher Teacher Standards

With improving the economy in mind, U.S. President Barack Obama called for a longer school year to significantly improve the educational system of the country. Citing the alarming decrease in America’s global educational competitiveness, the President, in an interview, cited his intentions in putting up his education agenda. He acknowledges numerous schools that do not have enough funds to supplement their operational expenses. For that, he promised additional funding to these schools in order to maintain and preserve the quality of education that they are giving to students.

Obama also cited that money alone won’t fix the problems encountered by public schools. He added that for an educational system to be successful, it must set higher standards for students and teachers alike. That is why he is proposing to extend the school year of students to make them more competitive in this modern world. He mentions that other advanced countries such as South Korea have longer school years which translate into more learning’s for students. South Korean public schools implement a school year that is 1-month longer compared to American schools. Obama has cited that this additional 1 month school period is very advantageous and can really make a difference.

A report published by the Education Commission of the States indicated that U.S. schools through the high school levels offer an average of 180 instruction days per year. This is way below compared to the 197 days for lower grades and 196 for upper grades average of countries with best student achievement levels such as Japan, Korea, Germany and New Zealand. The president has also mentioned that though the per-student spending has gone up, the student performance has gone down. In an effort to boost the level of education in America, Obama has now called for a longer school year and called for a set of standards to be achieved both by students and teachers.

On Monday, the president announced his goal of recruiting 10,000 teachers who work in the field of science, technology, engineering and math over the next two years. He reasoned that these specialized teachers are very vital in teaching and molding students to be competitive against their peers especially when talking about the economy. While the president endorsed working with teachers unions, he also told instructed them to not resist change and do something especially if one-third of students are dropping out. He favors firing teachers who are not teaching the way they should be and setting standards to maintain competitiveness.

Recent Polls: Democratic Candidates are Lagging in Key States

If you are not aware of it, the upcoming Midterm Elections in November is very significant as it will dictate as to who will have greater control of the U.S. Congress. For the past couple of months, the Republican Party has been very vocal about their intentions in regaining power especially in the U.S. senate. On the other hand, Democrats have been worried about the dismal performance of the economy resulting in the massive dip of Democratic ratings. In an effort to prevent massive losses during election time, the Democratic Party has been focusing more in supporting candidates which they will surely count on.

The Wisconsin Senate Race

For a state that clearly supported Pres. Barack Obama during the last presidential elections, Democrats are quite confident that their candidate for senator, Russ Feingold, will have a smooth sailing with he faces Republican candidate Ron Johnson in the November polls. Feingold is a high-profile Democrat who has served numerous years as a member of the Wisconsin Senate. Despite the confidence shown by Democrat leaders on Feingold’s chances, recent surveys show otherwise. In a recent survey conducted by Public Policy Polling, Feingold is in fact trailing by a whopping 11 percentage points. Another poll by Rasmussen Polling showed Johnson up ahead by a smaller lead. The fact is Johnson is now seen as more favorable to win the Senate than Feingold.

The Senate Race in West Virginia

The state of West Virginia is known to be dominated by the Democratic Party. In fact, Democrats are currently holding the state’s governorship, both senate seats, two of three house seats and both houses of the state’s legislature. Democrats are very popular in the state especially in the coal fields of Southern West Virginia. But popular Governor and Pro-coal Democratic Candidate Joe Manchin is reportedly trailing Republican candidate John Raese by 3 percentage points. Despite a smaller lead by Raese, it is still interesting enough to notice the fighting chance that Republicans have in a state where Democrats are known to be very influential.

The Gubernatorial Race in New York

In the race for the governor of New York, Republican candidate Carl Paladino is trailing Democrat and current state attorney general Andrew Cuomo by only 6 percentage points according a survey by Quinnipiac University. For the past couple of months, there were talks that Republican candidate Carl Paladino wasn’t intending to mount a serious run. But the smaller lead by Cuomo is an indication that Democrats should be equally worried. An upset is still very possible especially if it happens in one of the most powerful states in the U.S., the State of New York.