Congressional scholar, Norm Ornstein, wrote a column in Sunday's Washington Post declaring the 111th Congress "very productive Congress, despite what the approval ratings say."
He said: (links added)
The Education and Labor Committee was vital to the accomplishments of this Congress. In addition to the successes outlined above, the Committee has passed the 401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, and the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. Early in the 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, two Committee priorities.
Unfortunately, the economic crisis is not yet over -- there is still more work to be done. The Education and Labor Committee is proud of our accomplishments so far in the 111th Congress, and look forward to continuing the fight for America's middle class in 2010.
He said: (links added)
There seems to be little to endear citizens to their legislature or to the president trying to influence it. It's too bad, because even with the wrench thrown in by Republican Scott Brown's election in Massachusetts, this Democratic Congress is on a path to become one of the most productive since the Great Society 89th Congress in 1965-66, and Obama already has the most legislative success of any modern president -- and that includes Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson. The deep dysfunction of our politics may have produced public disdain, but it has also delivered record accomplishment.
The productivity began with the stimulus package, which was far more than an injection of $787 billion in government spending to jump-start the ailing economy. More than one-third of it -- $288 billion -- came in the form of tax cuts, making it one of the largest tax cuts in history, with sizable credits for energy conservation and renewable-energy production as well as home-buying and college tuition. The stimulus also promised $19 billion for the critical policy arena of health-information technology, and more than $1 billion to advance research on the effectiveness of health-care treatments.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan has leveraged some of the stimulus money to encourage wide-ranging reform in school districts across the country.
The Education and Labor Committee was vital to the accomplishments of this Congress. In addition to the successes outlined above, the Committee has passed the 401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, and the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. Early in the 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, two Committee priorities.
Unfortunately, the economic crisis is not yet over -- there is still more work to be done. The Education and Labor Committee is proud of our accomplishments so far in the 111th Congress, and look forward to continuing the fight for America's middle class in 2010.
