A Graveyard Of Good Ideas

The U.S. Congress is where good ideas go to die. A large part of the problem is the arcane rules under which it operates - especially the Senate.

Those who hold the Senate in low esteem can get a sympathetic ear from some of the chamber's newest members. These lawmakers also are fed up with the Senate's ways and would like to change them.

"A graveyard of good ideas" is how freshman Democratic Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico sees his new workplace. "Out of whack with the way the rest of the world is," says another Democratic freshman, Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado. "Just defies common sense" is the impression of Sen. Claire McCaskill, a first-term Democrat from Missouri, in describing the filibuster-plagued institution.

Actually, I'm okay with the filibuster rules. Anything that serves as an impediment to passing more hare-brained legislation is a good thing.

What I do object to, however, are the bizarre rules that enable those bozos to run the place like their own little fiefdom. Three examples: holds, earmarks, and amending bills.

Holds are a parliamentary procedure that allows one or more Senators to prevent a motion from reaching a vote on the Senate floor. This can be done in secret, thus hiding the identity of the senator who placed the hold. Cowards who lack the courage of their convictions...

Earmarks are a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees. Congresscritters use earmarks to facilitate gorging themselves at the public trough by funneling pork-laden funds and projects back to their home districts in order to get themselves reelected.

As for amending a bill, it should be a simple process. If the amendment is related to the bill, allow debate and a vote. If it's not - for example, Harry Reid's egregiously political amendment tying the Dream Act (immigration reform)  to the recent defense appropriations bill - then it shouldn't be allowed. In short, no omnibus bills.

One of the basic functions of Congress is to produce annual funding bills that keep the government operating.  These bills, known as appropriations bills, fund the respective sectors of the federal government – for example, one bill funds the Justice Department, another funds the Interior Department, and so on.

But by the end of last year, the Democrat-led Congress failed to approve nine of the total 12 appropriations bills.  Subsequently, the government has operated under a temporary measure, known as a “continuing resolution,” until Congress approved the remaining funding bills.

Instead of taking up these appropriations bills individually, the Democrat majority bundled the remaining ones into a massive, pork-laden $410 billion “omnibus” spending bill.  Like the previous year, this bill was unveiled just as the temporary continuing resolution was about to expire.  In other words, it was presented on a “take it or leave it” basis: approve this bill, or risk the government shutting down.

This political threat pressured members to approve a bloated spending bill quickly, leading to wasteful spending.  An omnibus bill corrupts the appropriations process, which was designed to ensure that individual spending bills could be carefully scrutinized and amended.  Bad bills can be opposed, good bills supported.  With an omnibus package, good provisions are coupled together with bad ones, and legislators are forced into an “all or nothing” position.

Kicking out the incumbents - ALL the incumbents - is a good start. But that should be coupled with meaningful reform of the rules under which congress swindles fleeces operates. Otherwise we end up with the same old mess.