Congressional Recess: Who Cares and What's Next?

Congress is in recess for the next two weeks. What this means is that instead of doing nothing here in Washington, the members can do nothing in their districts, or the golf course or on family vacation. I do not begrudge the recess period. It is a necessary element of the job. Members have to meet with constituents, visit the home and work places, make nice with the voters, raise money and get re-elected.  In their absences, at least we can all take comfort that no bad laws are being foist on us.

What is ahead for the rest of the year is not all that hard to figure out.  The Congress will put forth or try to put forth the actual spending allocations for the next fiscal year beginning in October. In the recent past, it means Congress will fail and then pass some sort of stopgap spending extension.  

The House does not seem all that interesting in much. Tax reform put out by retiring Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) is moribund. Legalizing illegal immigration, minimum wage increases, extended unemployment payments and anti-carbon energy policies—all liberal priorities- are not getting any traction. Conservative priorities-focusing on jobs, anti-regulation and health care-have no chance of moving forward given the composition of the Senate.

Over in the Senate, Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) is only considering matters designed to preserve the Democrats majority in the body. No votes on anything that could endanger one of his fellow liberals. He did indicate the Senate would take up the bundle of “tax goodies” that expired at the end of last year. This “extender” package is $90 billion of lost revenue to the government over the next two years, $90 billion of dubious benefit. Democrats are always -and I mean always- crowing for more taxes; well this is their chance. These are by the very definition liberals’ use-loopholes. How about it guys, want to close some loopholes?  If not, then be quiet about it.

Down the street from Capitol Hill, no one really knows what Mr. Obama is up to. He could be at a fundraiser, watching Netflix or berating one Conservative, Republican group or another. Calling those who do not agree or have a different opinion racist, women haters, poor people haters, union bashers, anti-illegal aliens, defenders of only the wealthy, Christian, climate change deniers, anti-Muslim, gun toting, wife beating ninnies. Did I miss anything?

He could be making up numbers to convince room-temperature IQ voters the benefits of the Affordable Care Act. Or, He could be thinking how to use the IRS against his opponents or maybe just picking out drone tagets. 

Maybe he is drawing “red lines’ on a map that cannot be crossed by reset Russia. Oh, that tough talk and lines not to cross. The White House assures the world that Russia's provocations and further transgressions will come with a cost. It is no ordinary cost but a “growing cost” I do not know what they are growing at the White House or if they actually believe the drivel, are too naïve to understand the situation or just do not care. What are they going to add a couple more guys to the sanction list? It is laughable, if not so sad and so dangerous.