See, when they skipped town, Members of Congress left a whole bunch of proposals sitting on the table – actions that would create jobs, boost our economy, and strengthen middle-class security. These ideas have been around for months. The American people want to see them passed. But apparently, some Members of Congress are more worried about their jobs and their paychecks this campaign season than they are about yours.Obama calls out Congress for leaving early in his weekly radio address.
The final vote on the spending bill, 62-30, was gaveled shut at 1:16 a.m., the comfortable tally belying the rancor that led up to it. The 112th Congress lurched to the exits the way it started — amid partisan acrimony and backbiting even within the parties.
House Democrats marched to the House steps Friday, chanted, “work, work, work,” and demanded lawmakers stay in town to finish unfinished business like a farm bill to take the place of agriculture laws that expire at the end of the month. They said no Congress since 1960 had recessed this early for the campaign season.
Then they headed home.
Congress still hasn’t dealt with an array of issues, including mandatory cuts in defense spending and the end of the Bush tax cuts. They’ll have to work on those in November, when a ton of the members — and potentially, the president — will be lame ducks.
A family legacy continues: A Kennedy has held a high position of power in D.C for 63 years - until the passing of Edward Kennedy in 2009 and the retirement of his son Patrick in 2011. Joseph P. Kennedy III has decided to run for Congress to fill the gap. The Spanish-speaking Stanford and Harvard Law graduate hopes to fill the Congressional seat of Barney Frank. He’ll have some big shoes to fill, in more ways than one. source
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