(MintPress) – During a time when many political leaders are pointing to an “inefficient government” as the source of taxpayer waste, Congress is proving that it, too, is part of the problem, with the current Legislature passing 70 percent fewer bills than the previous Congress.
According to a recently released CNN poll, 132 bills have passed through both the House and Senate during this legislative session. That’s compared to 383 bills approved during the previous two-year Congressional cycle. Of the 132 bills passed by the current Congress, one-fifth related to names of post offices — a not-so-partisan issue.
While such statistics do not compare the same time period, as this year’s cycle is not quite yet complete, it does show a slowdown in efficiency, largely caused by partisan-line politics that is inhibiting government officials from getting the job done.
When the new round of legislators filed into office in 2010, many brought along with them a tea party ideology of cutting back on government spending through strict cuts, with no compromise for generating revenue through tax increases. During the 2010 wave, more than 50 official tea party caucus members were elected to Congress. Such Congressmen and women ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility, promising constituents they would not compromise — and they haven’t.
This clear division has led members of Congress to spend a lot of time on given issues, some which, in the past, would possibly have not granted such scrutiny and partisan line opposition.
The Stop Violence Against Women bill, which has passed with nonpartisan support since 1994, this year created a controversy among Democrats and tea party Republicans, who claimed the new bill included a provision that extended protections to Native Americans, illegal immigrants and those involved in same-sex marriages. While the issue had largely to do with tea party Republicans’ social stance on issues, the party also objected to funding of anti-violence services for those who are in the country illegally, citing a fiscal responsibility.
The most notable sign of clear division along party lines occurred in 2011, when Congress pushed it to the last second — literally — in a debate over whether to raise the debt ceiling. Tea party Republicans argued it was not time to take on more debt, while Democrats felt lifting the debt ceiling would hurt the nation, as it would not allow the government to fund obligations.
An agreement was eventually reached Aug. 2, 2011 which included spending cuts of $2.2 trillion over the next 10 years. The Senate passed the measure with a vote of 74 to 26.
Republicans aren’t the only ones receiving the blame, however. They, in turn, point fingers at the Democrats for failing to pass a budget and deal with the need for cutbacks in government spending.
Looking ahead, Republicans and Democrats have until July 1 to reach an agreement on a bill that would prevent student loan interest rates from doubling. If a compromise is not met, future students will pay the price. If the past is any indication, it’s not a slam dunk victory for Democrats — as it would account for an additional $6 billion.
The Democrat-sponsored bill in the Senate looked to increased Social Security and Medicare costs on payroll taxes for those considered “high-earners,” but that wasn’t a strategy the Republicans approved. Republicans, on the other hand, favored cutting funds for preventative health measures — a move not favored by the Democrats. Congress has only a few weeks to reach a compromise, or pass the burden down to college students.
The transportation bill is another piece of legislation that has been met with clear partisan division. A decision must be made by June 30 on whether or not to temporarily extend the current Act or pass a new bill, as the Highway Trust Fund will not have the ability to spend money after June 30.