The New York Times Reported as of Sunday Febrary 8, 2009
quote in article by Sharon Otterman
"Significant differences exist between the House and Senate versions of the stimulus package, primarily over tens of billions of dollars in aid to states and local governments, tax provisions and programs for education, health and renewable energy. Even so, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said that they expected fast action on the bill, perhaps even getting it to President Obama’s desk by week’s end.
The bill produced through negotiations in the Senate late Friday night and into Saturday is a $827 billion package of government spending and tax cuts. It cuts some $40 billion in aid to states from the House version of the bill and scales back President Obama’s signature middle-class tax cut. The Senate plan also creates new tax incentives to encourage Americans to buy homes and cars within the next year.
Just three Senate Republicans have pledged to support the measure — Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine. But their votes are enough to lift Democrats over the filibuster-proof number of 60 votes needed to pass the bill."
For those of you not familiar with Senate procedure, you may find this a surprising thing "bipartisanship". Especially since there are 58 Senate democrats (at last count). One mightthink that one could get things done with a majority. Well, the Senate is an old antiquated machine. Senators have much more power than representativves. Once a Senator is recognzied on the floor, he/she can talk until they feel like stopping, not so in the House. Hence, since a new tool has developed in the last 30 or so years to ensure that bills get passed. It si called a "Unanimous Consent Agreement", heretofore UCA.
A UCA is a tool whereby the majority leader works out in detail every step of procedure for passage of a bill, including when amendments will be introduced and how long for debate. Yes, a UCA can limit debate, because it contains a set of rules agreed upon. It also takes 60 votes to institute a UCA. Otherwise, the rules are not binding. Consequently, this is why the Senate is such a slow body. It takes more than a majority to get things done. Also, it illustrates how a determined minority, in this case the Republicans, and disrupt the whole process.
There is a danger here for both the Democrats and the Republicans. Less than a week after becoming President, the President went to Capital hill to talk with Republicans. Now, this is an ineresting relationship, one that shows that an insider knows what to do. The danger for the Democrats is that if the Stimulus bill does not pass they will be seen as too partisan and the economy may get worse. The danger for the Repbulicans is that if they are seen as obstructionist, they could be in danger of becoming the minority party for another 50 years.
Clearly, what has worked in the past, will not work now! Tax cuts for the rich and powerful do not trickle down to the rest of us. What we need is "percolate up politics" and that is what is occuring now. What may be needed, and Political Scientists are watching this, is a rule change in the Senate. This would irrevocabley change the structure of the Senate, but it may be needed to get that chamber back to a workable body. The Senate is a representative body, at present, and the old institutional rules may need to be altered. I know watch what you wish for. However, it the Stimulus bill does not pass, one may begin to question the value of the Senate as an institution.
