The Continuing Blame Game
By Neil Stevens Posted in Democrats — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) was on C-SPAN just now, answering questions about S-CHIP, the budget, and the Motion to Recommit the Continuing Resolution that Republicans have put to a vote.
Update: Here is C-SPAN's video of the interview.
C-SPAN's Steve Scully pressed Rep. Kaptur hard on why the Congress never seems to pass budgets for the entire government by October 1, the fiscal deadline, forcing them to pass Continuing Resolutions to avoid government shutdowns.
Now, I find it impossible to believe that this is the first time a Member of Congress has been asked about this issue, so I have to believe that Members of the House have discussed this before, and further that the leadership of the House has given suggestions on how to answer questions like this.
Sure enough, Rep. Kaptur came out firing, speaking with no hesitation or doubt in her voice. She praised the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Committees she serves on, and the House as a whole, for getting all its work done 'months early.' She reiterated that the House 'has been ready for Conference,' but then asked why hasn't the Senate gotten its work done?
She didn't stop attacking the Senate there, either, referring to an unnamed other members of the House who refer to the Senate as 'the tar-pit,' where bills passed by the House go to die. And finally, she suggested a Senator should come onto the program to defend why they have failed to pass more than four of the budget bills.
The last time I checked, the Senate is controlled (albeit slightly) by its Democratic caucus, led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and the House is run (very well and efficiently, if Rep. Kaptur is to be believed) by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California.
So is Rep. Kaptur speaking out of turn, and expressing a backbench frustration with the Senate as run by Sen. Reid, or is she relaying the sense of the Democratic caucus in the House, from Speaker Pelosi on down?
Inquiring minds want to know.