The people’s business
Congress must put aside ideology this week
Americans are told that members of Congress are especially sensitive to voters’ views this year, with elections in November. It underlines the importance of their actions as a federal government shutdown looms at the weekend and important issues remain unresolved.
Some of the members already have punted on third down by indicating their decision not to run for another term, thus evading responsibility for what they do this year unless their parties are held responsible at the polls. Others are hoping for another two years or six years on the gravy train. Some of them are expecting opposition from the reasonable center, the inchoate left or the extreme right, while others seem confident that they will be re-elected and feel as snug as bugs in a rug.
The prime issue now is passage of a budget, an issue that they already kicked down the road before their Christmas break, but which now looms as inevitable at the end of this week, unless, once more, they believe they can get away with not doing this fundamental work of funding the federal government. It has gotten messy, with the tax cut introducing into the budget package an at least $1.2 trillion additional deficit over the next 10 years even though the legislation is supposed to stimulate the economy long term.
Since additional expenditures are supposed to trigger compensatory cuts, the tax cut-enhanced deficit, whatever is believed to be its ultimate impact in terms of taxes collected, there will now be necessary, in principle, cuts in some other programs. Possible target areas include popular programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. It is unlikely that any member of Congress, with the possible exception of the extreme budget hounds, would like to cut one or more of these programs in an election year.
This situation puts members in the position, this week, of being forced to look at compromises, even bipartisan compromises, that might amount to shady deals when assessed by voters/taxpayers to be directed against their basic interests, or their strongly held views, on Election Day. Pieces of the puzzle on the table include immigration, including the emotionally complicated Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) issue and funding emergency relief for Puerto Rico, Houston, California and other weatherand climate-inflicted areas.
Added to the mix will also be two new Democratic senators, one from Alabama and the other from Minnesota, with the state of health of Sen. John McCain of Arizona reducing the Republicans’ margin in the Senate to a narrowness that will either require Vice President Mike Pence not to travel or oblige unaccustomed compromise. Americans just want these people to do their jobs. Voting in November ought to be squarely on that basis, not rhetoric or ideology.