House Democrats continued their crusade against adjournment with a display on the steps of the Capitol today, as Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that the party “proudly” vowed to stay in session.
The lower chamber took its last vote scheduled before the November election today, approving the Stop the War on Coal Act.
“We are prepared to stay in session to pass President Obama’s jobs bill, which can create more than one million new jobs immediately, pass a five year farm bill – 16 million agricultural jobs depend on it, extend middle income tax cuts to provide certainty for millions of Americans and help our economy. And to pass a comprehensive and balanced bill to address our fiscal concerns – to say to the world that we can get the job done, that we can work in a cooperative manner to reduce the deficit, to create growth, to create jobs,” Pelosi proclaimed.
“We’re here standing together to recognize that since August 3rd, when Congress adjourned, and November 14th, when we’re being called back into session, we will have been in session only eight days. That’s just not right. Democrats are prepared to stay until we get the job done. That’s what we’re elected to do – to get the job done!” she said to cheers from Democratic caucus members.
Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Calif.) said this week has seen “a convulsing end to a dismal Congress.”
“Instead of wasting time on partisan messaging bills, as we’ve done this week, Republicans ought to have used this time to consider the Senate’s bipartisan farm bill,” he said. “…Shame on them for abandoning our farmers, our economy, and families who need us to act.”
“We will deal with the farm bill after the election,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told reporters yesterday.
Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.) panned yesterday’s vote against Obama’s waiver of welfare work rules, saying “the only requirement for work is that Republicans stay here and work instead of cutting and running.”
Democrats on the steps chanted “work, work, work” in response.
Maybe they should be over on the Senate side instead chanting, “Budget, budget, budget!”
It’s pathetically funny to hear the culprits of the largest welfare society in US history actually chant ‘work, work, work’.
One is reminded of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, when James Stewart asks the Senate to hold up its vote on “the Deficiency Bill” so that he can go back to his home state and clear his name. The Senators rise in outrage: “Does the Senator truly expect us to delay passage of the Deficiency Bill, which has been held up for months, just for his own personal purposes?”
Note that the Deficiency Bill has been “held up for months” since long before Stewart ever saw the Senate—but it is his request that it be delayed for a few more days that is deemed “outrageous.”
The House Democrats are pulling the same stunt.
In some cases I expect the Democrats are afraid to go home.
Oh, show me the way to go home
Though the prospect fills me with dread
I’ve run up a lot of debt in the last four years
And the country’s credit is dead…
– afraid to go home, but since even if Romney loses the Dems stand to lose a few Senate seats and the GOP retain the House, the Speaker should call their bluff and keep them in session. As November approaches, some of the Dem members will start getting nervous that they haven’t campaigned in person or met with constituent groups.
“…where seldom is heard,
an en-couraging word…”
I believe they do less damage when they don’t work to “fix” things.
They’ve already sent a budget bill to the Senate which dirty Harry refuses to put up for a vote. Their work is done until after the new year IMHO.
“Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Calif.)…” As much as I wish that this was true, Steny Hoyer is a representative of my adopted home state of Maryland.
I truly hope that Tony O’Donnell, the Republican candidate for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, wins this election!