The United States Constitution was set up by the Founding Fathers in such a way to prevent drastic policy changes from occurring without consensus. This document was well thought out and keeps federal policies from shifting one way or the other until the country is sure of its course.
This means that, until the public reaches a consensus as reflected in their elected representatives, Congress will never be able to make dramatic changes. This is precisely the reason why, though Congress has had many significant achievements in 2007, some of the biggest issues Americans face met major barriers to change.
For example, while we have continued health coverage of the 6 million children enrolled in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), we still have an estimated 5 million kids who meet eligibility requirements but not enough money in the SCHIP system to cover them. President Bush has vetoed two attempts by Congress to increase SCHIP funding by $35 billion over five years while requesting an additional $200 billion for Iraq.
The House of Representatives passed an emergency supplemental bill several weeks ago that would have provided $50 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but also held the President accountable for his strategy in Iraq by including troop readiness requirements and redeployment targets.
This was one of many attempts by Congress over the course of the year to force the President to change direction in Iraq. Unfortunately, the President’s allies in the Senate blocked this measure and have pledged to support any Presidential veto of similar efforts. Despite these roadblocks, I feel it is our moral duty in 2008 to continue pushing Iraqis to take control of their own country so American troops can focus their efforts on fighting terrorism, not policing a civil war.
Earlier this year, the Senate had a chance to act on an immigration bill that, while not perfect, would have provided a starting point for addressing the problem of illegal immigration that has been ignored for years. However, the bill stalled in the Senate and the House never got a chance to vote on it.
Despite the frustrations caused by the lack of progress on some of these most critical issues, I imagine that most of you will be pleasantly surprised by how much we have accomplished. Too often, the news reflects the negative part of our job, sweeping even big achievements under the rug.
We passed a number of crucial bills in 2007, including laws to protect against terrorism, help Americans pay for college, boost the minimum wage and promote jobs in a global economy. You said you were tired of scandals and out-of-control spending, and we passed landmark lobbying and ethics reform, as well as a pay-as-you-go principle to restrict new deficit spending.
We passed new safety requirements for children’s products and the largest funding increase in veterans’ programs in the history of the VA. Finally, we signed groundbreaking energy legislation to increase America’s energy independence and improve our national security, our economy and our environment.
We are expected to vote on a number of other important pieces of legislation next year, including measures to improve affordability of and access to our colleges, universities and technical schools. We will vote on the Farm Bill, which will help keep America’s agricultural industry strong while taking steps to decrease wasteful subsidies and, of special note to us in Central Kentucky, we will vote on a final version of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, designed to make air travel safer. During the next session, we will also continue working to secure our borders, improve children’s access to health care and push for change in Iraq.
As you can see, Congress has been hard at work in 2007 and will be just as busy in 2008. I am proud of what we have done and am ready for the challenges ahead. There will be many tough decisions to make, and in order to decide wisely, I need to hear from each of you on the issues you feel are most pressing.
Please take a moment to fill out my online survey or send me an e-mail or letter to let me know your thoughts and opinions.
Finally, from my family to yours, may you and everyone dear to you have a wonderful New Year!
