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It was a year of highs and lows for congressional Democrats. Beginning with the swearing-in of the 1st woman Speaker of the House in U.S. history and the return of Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate after 12 long years in the wilderness, '07 began with great promise. We pledged to end the war, repair the damage done to our nation's international reputation and refocus Congress on domestic priorities that had been given less attention in recent years. What we didn't account for was congressional Republicans willingness to buck the message sent by the American people on Nov. 4th, 2006, and stick with the President. For that, the minority is owed some credit.
But what did this recalcitrance in the face of a Democratic resurgence mean? Well, for the American people it meant continuing to spend hundreds of billions of dollars in Iraq. It meant continuing to put our soldiers in harm's way, while Iraqi leaders continued to fail to reach any agreement on the political questions that continue to divide and prevent their country from being able to takeover its own security and governance.
This resistance also meant 10 million low-income children would not be afforded health insurance, a proposal that costs a fraction of what we’re spending on the war. Efforts to eliminate the dreaded AMT tax also went down to defeat at the hands of the Republicans. A one-year “patch” was enacted, exempting taxpayers for the fiscal year, but it was done in a fiscally irresponsible manner. Republicans blocked Democratic efforts to offset the revenue lost from the AMT (but accounted for in the President’s budget), with new revenue raisers on the wealthiest of the wealthy in our country.
Republicans adherence to the President's priorities, however, couldn't stop every measure intended to bring about progressive change in our society. We raised the minimum wage, for the first time in over 10 years -- something Republicans in 2006, when they were in the majority, defeated on a party line vote 11 times. We passed the single largest increase in college aid since the GI bill, cutting the interest rate on student loans in half and boosting Pell Grants for 5.5 million low and moderate-income students. Veterans' health care, something that has risen dramatically due to the war, was boosted by $3.7 billion, a historic increase. Lobbying and ethics rules were put in place, the most stringent ever. The recommendations of the 9/11 Commission on homeland security, many of, which had gone unheeded by the old Congress, were enacted, the 1st priority of the new Democratic Majority. And perhaps the biggest policy change of the past year, passage of an energy bill that focused on cleaner, renewable sources of energy and raised the fuel mileage standard from 27.5 to 35 miles per gallon, the first time since 1984 the so-called CAFE standards have been increased.
Democrats left town for the holidays this year feeling a little down for not coming through on all their promises, particularly the war. They shouldn’t. With a nearly evenly divided Senate (especially taking into account Senator Lieberman’s position in favor of the war) and with a President unwilling to budge an inch, what we have been able to accomplish is commendable. The recalcitrance showed by Republicans will only serve to deplete their numbers and result in a Democrat in the White House in 2008. Those who voted against health care for 10 million low-income children, against fiscally responsible actions to rein in deficit spending and against bringing an end to the war in Iraq will see those decisions come back to haunt them in the new year. The Democratic New Direction Congress is dead-set on bringing about the progressive change America wants. The public will be made aware of those dead-set on obstructing it.
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