Democrats Choose Campaigning Over Governing

The House of Representatives adjourned abruptly last week, leaving essential work unfinished. In the interests of getting home to campaign for the mid-term elections, Speaker Pelosi and her party sent legislators home without even allowing a vote on tax relief.

Without congressional action, tax rates are set to increase for Americans in all tax brackets in January. Preventing the coming tax increases is imperative for economic recovery. Not only would it promise relief for millions of struggling American families but it would also immediately provide much-needed certainty for job creators trying to stay afloat in this stagnant economy. Although legislators from both parties repeatedly urged the Democratic majority leaders to extend tax breaks for all Americans, Speaker Pelosi refused to permit a vote on the policy. Thanks to election year politics, small businesses remain in suspense, discouraged from hiring as long as the possibility of major tax increases looms on the horizon.

Tax relief is far from the only issue left unresolved by House Democrats' early sprint to the exits. For the first time since 1974, the House has failed to pass an annual budget resolution setting spending guidelines. Although congressional liberals managed to approve billions in new deficit spending this year, they neglected to even hold a vote on a budget resolution, which is mandated by law. This appalling oversight rightly prompted the Washington Post to chide Congress for "bolting for the campaign trail without finishing its most basic job."

Absent a budget resolution, the next opportunity to shape spending priorities is the annual appropriations process, during which Congress is required to debate and approve 12 separate spending bills by the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Segmented into categories covering such issues as health care, agriculture and transportation, the appropriations bills provide ample targets for the elimination of wasteful government spending. Unfortunately, House Democrats dropped the ball here, as well, failing to hold votes on a full 10 of the 12 appropriations bills. In fact, most of the bills have not even been considered yet by the Appropriations Committee on which I serve. Instead, the Democratic majority passed a short-term spending bill to keep the government running through December 3 and avoid a shutdown.

This utter failure to complete the most basic budget tasks virtually guarantees that more reckless spending will be rushed through at the end of the year. With record deficits jeopardizing our economic security, we need more spending discipline, not less. In such challenging economic times, tax relief, a budget, and spending bills are arguably the most important obligations Congress can fulfill. The Democratic majority's decision to adjourn early without holding votes on such crucial fiscal matters is simply a dereliction of duty.

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