Inspired by this article yesterday in the
American Prospect, in which "our own" Terence Samuels perpetuates the myth that Democrats have no ideas of their own other than to oppose Republican plans.
Here's an excerpt:
And so they have become the "no" party: No to private accounts. No to the intervention in the Schiavo case. No to the energy bill. No to changing the Senate rules on filibustering judges. No to changing the rules to protect Tom DeLay. And, maybe most notably, no to John Bolton as United Nations ambassador.
The lack of an affirmative agenda has been noted by many, and assessed as a flawed and fatal strategy.
Is it true, as Samuels suggests, that Democrats have no ideas? That all they can do is say no to those creative, out of the box thinking Republicans?
Just for kicks, I went to
Congress.org and viewed a few of the bills that have been introduced this session. Let me say first off that I was surprised at the number of bills that had bipartisan sponsorship in every area. Sure seems to refute the "Obstructionist, do nothing" theme.
But for this diary I was primarily looking for bills that were sponsored only by Democrats vs. bills sponsored only by Republicans, to get a real sense of the ideological divide between the parties. Your common sense may have led you to understand these divides already, but it is interesting seeing them borne out in pending legislation.
Admittedly, this is not a complete sample. I strongly encourage you to visit Congress.org and sift through some of what our "leaders" think are the most important issues to you today. Let's just see if you spot any trends:
Health Issues
For Democrats, there's:
H.R. 676, 'To provide for comprehensive health insurance coverage for all United States residents, and for other purposes. '
Introduced by John Conyers, Co Sponsored by Democrats Dennis Kucinich, John Olver, Charles Rangel, Bob Filner, Jim McDermott, Donna Christensen. No Republican co-sponsors.
From the summary: Establishes the United States National Health Insurance Program (the Program) to provide all individuals residing in the United States and in U.S. territories with free health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, prescription drugs, emergency care, and mental health services.
This bill, introduced on 2/8/05, now sits in the Subcommittee on Health.
I confess that this is my favorite fantasy bill of almost all bills before Congress. It deserves it's own diary, if it's not there already.
H.R. 1418 - 'To amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, and chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, to provide that any health benefits plan which provides obstetrical benefits shall be required also to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. '
Introduced by Marty Meehan D-MA, cosponsor Anthony Weiner, D-NY.
From the Summary: to provide that any health benefits plan which provides obstetrical benefits shall be required also to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility.
This bill, introduced 3/17/05, now sits with the House Committee on Govt Reform.
Wow, this one might have actually prodded my wife and I to go ahead with trying the in-vitro option, which we declined due to low odds and the 10's of thousands of dollars of cost.
S.114 - 'A bill to amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure that every uninsured child in America has health insurance coverage, and for other purposes
Regular readers of this blog will recognize this as John Kerry's "kids first" act.
Introduced by John Kerry, Co Sponsors Kennedy, Dayton, Lautenberg, Corzine, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.
From the Summary: (long winded - it's a Kerry bill after all) Amends title XIX of the Social Security Act (SSA) to give States the option to receive 100 percent Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP) for medical assistance for children in poverty in exchange for expanded coverage of children in working poor families under Medicaid (SSA title XIX) or SCHIP (SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance)...
Introduced 1/24/05, this bill now sits with the Committee on Finance.
Good Luck.
S.445 'A resolution to amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act, as added by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to provide for negotiation of fair prices for Medicare prescription drugs. '
Introduced by Debbie Stabenow, co -sponsors Boxer, Thomas Carper D-DE, Kennedy, Jeff Bingaman D-NM, Schumer, Tim Johnson D-SD, Cantwell, Herbert Kohl, D-WI.
From Summary: to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from: (1) interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors;
Introduced 2/17/05, now sits in the Committee of Finance.
There's lots more Democratic sponsored bills on Health, including S.16, a kind of Health Care "omnibus" which concerns a number of issues, including prescription drug importation and small business access to insurance plans, among other things.
So, how about Republican only sponsored bills? Among the 80 bills listed on Congress.org under health, I could only find 1 that had at least one co sponsor:
H.R. 490 - 'To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to improve the affordability of health insurance coverage for small employers. '
Introduced by Mike Pence R-IN, Cosponsored by 23 other Republicans
From Summary: Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal the requirement that each health insurance issuer in the small group market in a State must accept every small employer in the State that applies for such coverage.
Introduced on 2/1/05, now sits in the subcommittee on Health.
Gotta take care of those entrepreneurs.
Jobs/Labor
For Democrats, there's:
H.R. 1058 - 'To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to ensure that employees are not improperly disqualified from benefits under pension plans and welfare plans based on the misclassification or reclassification of their status. '
Introduced by Carolyn McCarthy, D-NY, Cosponsors Robert Andrews D-NJ, Dale Kildee D-MI, Lynn Woolsey D-CA
Summary is pretty much the same as bill title.
Introduced 3/2/05, now sits in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
S.282 - bill to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to expand the scope of the Act, and for other purposes. '
Introduced by Christopher Dodd D-CT, Cosponsored by 12 Democrats
From Summary: Another "omnibus" that contains several provisions, including amending the FMLA to cover victims of domestic violence, Adds 3 days annually to FMLA for Parent Teacher conferences or other school related activity, and other worker protections.
Introduced 2/3/05, sits in committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
S.223 - 'A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to repeal any weakening of overtime protections and to avoid future loss of overtime protections due to inflation. '
Introduced by Tom Harkin, 14 Democratic co-sponsors and ONE REPUBLICAN!! Arlen Specter R-PA.
Introduced Jan 31,2005 and sits with committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
H.R. 475 'To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to permit leave to care for a same-sex spouse, domestic partner, parent-in-law, adult child, sibling, or grandparent if the same-sex spouse, domestic partner, parent-in-law, adult child, sibling, or grandparent has a serious health condition, and for other purposes. '
Introduced by Carolyn Maloney D-NY, 42
Democratic cosponsors + Bernie Sanders I-VT
Introduced 2/1/05, sits in the committee on Workforce Protections.
More Reality based legislation that recognizes the changing face of the American family, instead of trying to time travel back to the 50's
How about Republicans? Wow they have lots of bills in this area. Guess they really care about labor issues:
H.R. 977-981, a series of bills all with the same title, 'To amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 with respect to enforcement provisions.
All introduced by Todd Tiahrt, R-KS.
Each bill covers the relaxation of a specific area of OSHA enforcement. Each has 7 Republican co-sponsors.
All have been referred to the Committee on Workforce Protections.
H.R. 500 'To preserve and protect the free choice of individual employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, or to refrain from such activities
Introduced by Joe Wilson R-SC, 75 Republican Co Sponsors
From Summary: Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to repeal those provisions that permit employers, pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that is a union security agreement, to require employees to join a union as a condition of employment (including provisions permitting railroad carriers to require, pursuant to such an agreement, payroll deduction of union dues or fees as a condition of employment).
Introduced 2/1/05, now with Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations
H.R. 739 'To amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to provide for adjudicative flexibility with regard to the filing of a notice of contest by an employer following the issuance of a citation or proposed assessment of a penalty by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Introduced by Charles Norwood, R-GA 24 Republican Co Sponsors.
From Summary: Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to revise a requirement that, if an employer fails to file a notice of contest within 15 working days following the issuance of a citation or proposed assessment of a penalty, the citation or assessment becomes a final order not subject to review. Provides for an exception if such failure results from mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect.
Introduced 2/10/05 - Placed on the Union Calendar 4/18/05. (this will be debated and voted upon)
Is there any question at all after seeing this small sample of bills who cares about employee issues?
Let's move on to Civil Rights shall we?
What are those do-nothing democrats doing here?
H.R. 893 - 'To allow certain individuals of Japanese ancestry who were brought forcibly to the United States from countries in Latin America during World War II and were interned in the United States to be provided restitution under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, and for other purposes.
Introduced by Xavier Becerra, D-CA 25 Democratic co-sponsors + Bernie Sanders
From Summary: This is a bill that makes amendments for wrongs done to individuals of Japanese ancestry who were forcibly brought to this country from Latin American and interned here during WWII. (I didn't even know this occurred)
On the Republican side:
H.R. 136 - 'To provide that Executive Order 13166 shall have no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes. '.
Introduced by Peter King R-NY, Cosponsored by 38 Republicans.
From Summary: Prohibits the use of funds for the promulgation or enforcement of an executive order that creates an entitlement to services provided in a language other than English.
Introduced 1/4/05, sits in the House Committee on Government Reform.
Uh huh.. I'm surprised this bill doesn't state "a language other than 'Murican.
I could literally go on forever with this, as there are currently hundreds of pieces of pending legislation before the Congress. But for a supposedly Democratic publication like the American Prospect to repeat the "Democrats lack an affirmative agenda", is just inexcusable laziness, the kind of laziness I expect from CNN, or MSNBC, but not from the American Prospect.