Democrats Have a Stimulus, But You Can't Read It
During the first six years of the Bush administration, when Republicans controlled both the White House and Congress, they were rightly infamous for ramming through controversial bills without giving Democrats time to read the legislation -- let alone provide any input or offer amendments.
The tales of abusive and aggressive GOP behavior are legion, from one chairman cutting off Democrats' mikes when he grew tired of a hearing on the Patriot Act to another chairman's snide crack that House-Senate conference talks were only open to members of Bush's "coalition of the willing."
John Cole, at Balloon Juice, references the latter episode to argue that GOPers should stop complaining and be grateful that Democrats allowed them into a televised conference meeting yesterday. He misses the point entirely. Here's why the most loyal Democrat should be concerned -- not angry, not ready to write off the Obama administration, but concerned -- about what happened.
The conference meeting yesterday was nothing more than a performance for the cameras, or a "showcase for speeches," as the Times called it. allowing Democrats to claim that they were holding "the first open conference in 15 years" when the particulars of the deal were being hammered out in private.
It's not that Republicans were being excluded from the process. On the contrary, GOP leaders who had already vowed to oppose the stimulus were given no access, with good reason -- but the three GOP senators whose votes were necessary to pass the stimulus were given plum prizes for their preferred programs and virtual veto power over certain provisions.
Who was excluded from the process? Everyone outside the private negotiating table, regardless of their party. One senior Democratic senator, when I asked him at 6pm last night whether one of his proposals was retained in the final stimulus, replied without blinking that no one knew what was in it yet. This was hours after Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had announced the "deal" before TV cameras.
Reporters who asked for a summary of the agreed-upon deal last night were told to wait, because "policy staff ... are drafting final bill language tonight," according to a House Democratic memo. Aside from a top-line number of $789 billion and a battle over school construction, the nitty-gritty details of the stimulus were publicly unavailable.
Contrast this with President Obama's promise to put bills online five days before signing them.
Now, it may be that grassroots Democratic voters don't mind the party's practice of writing bills among a select group of lawmakers and aides, excluding liberal members who don't hold major chairmanships. But it's wrong to suggest that the process was open and transparent, even when compared with the GOP years.
Josh
Matt
Eric
the GOP years should not be the bar.
sucks
February 12, 2009 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's clear that President Obama has no intention of keeping his promise to put legislation online ofr 5 days before signing. Just like the no lobbyist in my administration, why make a promise if you have zero intention of keeping it?
February 12, 2009 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Granted that we have an extraordinary need to push money into the economy, we still have an obligation to be forthright about the circumstances. The public is forgiving about "screw-ups" and should be considered now.
My recommendation: an explanation that, due to the need for timely intervention, the normal legislative consultation and debate have been dramatically curtailed, but were not entirely absent.
February 12, 2009 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not sure what you're complaining about. Conference committees are not meant to include everybody. They are meant to be small groups including only a handful of senior people from each house, typically chairmen of the relevant committees. If you had 50 conferees you'd never finish.
February 12, 2009 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I read the entire post and this "loyal Democrat" can't figure out what I'm supposed to be concerned about, let alone angry . . . and I'm a political junkie!
If you think the average american gives a shit about all of this not just inside the beltway but inside the conference room/caucus/inside the beltway shit, you need to get out more.
February 12, 2009 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
This bill was done in a hurry. THe nature of the problems we face required that. We can't assume that this is the way the Obama administration will be doing legislation in the future.
February 12, 2009 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Tonyp,
The very fact that the bill was done in a hurry is what is concerning. Did you know that Feinstein tried to ram through provisions to the bill which related to Net Neutrality (to kill off all prospects of it) which has no business being in a Stimulus bill? I know you may say that the bill needed to be done in a hurry and all but I would argue that the opposite is true and the only reason the bill is being rushed is to sneak past provisions before people can really mobilize and protest against them.
February 12, 2009 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Er.... how can the Obama administration put a bill online when it isn't even "final" yet? Are they supposed to put up every draft and proposed insertion, even though that isn't what he's going to actually sign?
I don't get the "outrage" here, just manufactured garbage from people who want to have a reason to be annoyed.
February 12, 2009 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Dems in Congress are flexing their muscles, isn't this what we've been asking for?
We spend alot of time around talking about how Obama hasn't been tough enough on the GOP...Now he and the Dems in Congress are ramming through their legislation, bipartisanship be damned, and we are complaining?
More sunshine would be nice for sure, but at least the people we voted for are writing legislation in secret, and not the other guys.....
February 12, 2009 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
How shocking that the White House and Congressional leadership might be nothing but a pack of cowardly hypocrites who would prefer to do things out of sight and present the rest of the Congress with a fait accomplis! Now, the product may be a helluva lot better than what we saw from Bush and the Republicans, but the method sucks and it is anathema to the idea of open government.
February 12, 2009 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, I am deeply concerned and disappointed that they failed to publish the bill on the Internet before it was written. I totally think that the press should be able to go through the staff draft before the actual elected officials do because there's no way that the press would eagerly portray mistakes by sleep-deprived caffeine fueled staffers as evil tricks. I am also terribly upset that the press wasn't allowed to watch the negotiations in real time because, gee, you know how productive the presence of television cameras make people in Congress.
Oh, and I am outraged that Obama caused, or allowed, all this to happen, what with congress being an agency within the executive branch and him being its supreme boss and all.
February 12, 2009 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well said. I blame Obama for the coldest winter as well. Doesn't he know this jeoperdizes my fight against global warming. Not to mention, I had to buy a $ 200 overcoat in this economy.
February 12, 2009 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. How dare they not publish a bill for public review before it is a final draft?!!! Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children
February 12, 2009 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Separation of Powers is an idea lost on many here, apparently.
February 12, 2009 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Strong second.
February 12, 2009 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not expert in congressional procedures and even less familiar with conference meetings.
But you seem to be jumping the gun. Your call for fairness and openness is a day or two early.
February 12, 2009 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Elana,
It seemed you had "One senior democrat" to talk last night, and felt compeled to make something out of it.
Otherwise, your outrage doesn't fit with the reality at all.
February 12, 2009 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
The oddest spectacle of the last few days was watching the Wall Stree cult being exposed as a bunch of arrogant, out-of-touch-with-normal-people nitwits (they don't seem to know much about the businesses they head) by a gathering of arrogant, out-of-touch-with-normal-people Carnival Barkers (Republicans) and Clowns (Democrats).
February 12, 2009 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's odd yes, but i've seen odder things by regular people.
February 12, 2009 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Here's why the most loyal Democrat should be concerned -- not angry, not ready to write off the Obama administration, but concerned -- about what happened."
Why should anyone write off the Obama administration -the executive- for the way Congress -the legislative- conducts conference proceedings. How long has the author been around legislative proceedings?
February 12, 2009 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, not to go all Wilford Brimley shakin' his cane at young punks, but some of us are old enough to remember when the U.S. Congress wasn't run like one of the rubber-stamp sham legislatures that were one of the more amusing features of 20th century totalitarian states, and some of us aren't.
February 12, 2009 12:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Before you and Wilfred use uf all the Poligrip, remind me when you and I shook our young fists at Ike over the way Mr. Sam or LBJ conducted conference committees.
February 12, 2009 12:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Umm, I think we're on the same side of that point. But I'm easily confused these days, so I can't tell for sure.
February 12, 2009 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nancy Pelosi's office has released a 6 page Word document detailing the specifics compromise stimulus bill. The document is dated Feb. 11, so it must have appeared later in the day.
For example, the "Investing in Scientific Research ($15B)" section provides $3B to the NSF, $1.6B to the DOE Office of Science [basic, unclassified research], and $8.5B to NIH (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, and heart disease studies). Other science agencies also will receive funds.
One can always find fault with the bill, but overall it is a magnificent accomplishment by the Obama team in just 3 weeks in the face of near unamimous (save 3) Republican opposition.
February 12, 2009 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Elana, I always know it's you after I read your work, even if I haven't seen your name first. This is nonsense on a number of levels, as other posters above have said.
February 12, 2009 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
What I find more nonsensical is Elana dragging out the promise to post bills for five days online before signing them as somehow more important than, say, getting extended unemployment benefits to those whose benefits have already expired. A five day on line wait to satisfy a curious on line viewer can translate in up to a ten day period without any income in a desperate household.
February 12, 2009 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Elana,
I fail to follow your rational about why the situation is controversial. Thus, I find myself wondering if your are purposefully "stirring the pot".
February 13, 2009 12:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Elana, you do realize the 5 day provision promise by Obama is for nonemergency legislation only dont you? Congress vowed to have the plan up 48 hours ahead of the passage, Obama's 5 day provision has nothing to do with this
You also realize the text of the bill was online Feb 10, then Pelosi released a document of revisions on Feb 11?
Granted it wasnt all in one neat package but the information was still out there, the senate version and the house revisions, by Feb 11.
February 14, 2009 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
What has to be done to get a copy of this bill to read now that the bill has been "signed" into law?
There's an awful lot of talk about this point and that point of the package, but, it's pretty clear that no one except those that prepare the written document has even remotely seen what is actually in the package.
Has it been entered into the Congressional Record yet, for all to see?
February 19, 2009 11:04 PM | Reply | Permalink