Congress returned to town this week with its poll ratings even lower than President Bush’s. That’s because nearly all the public ever sees is congressional leaders fighting and accomplishing nothing.
But that’s not a completely accurate picture. By the time Congress adjourned for the August recess, it actually had racked up some legislative accomplishments that voters didn’t appreciate.
kAm$@ A6C92AD 2 72:C 8C256 7@C E96 ``_E9 r@?8C6DD D@ 72C H@F=5 36 2? u 7@C DEJ=6[ 2 r\A=FD 7@C 677@CE 2?5 2? x?4@>A=6E6 7@C BF2=:EJ @7 249:6G6>6?E] %96C6 :D A=6?EJ @7 C@@> 7@C 4964<:?8 E96 3@I “D9@HD :>AC@G6>6?E]”k^Am
kAm(92E r@?8C6DD 92D 244@>A=:D965 E9:D J62C 42>6 :? EH@ 3FCDED — E96 7:CDE “`__ 9@FCD[” H96? E96 w@FD6 AFD965 E9C@F89 >F49 @7 :ED AC@>:D65 “$:I :? ’_e” 286?52[ 2?5 E96 7:?2= `__ 9@FCD @C D@ =2DE >@?E9[ H96? 3@E9 E96 w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 AC@46DD65 2 36GJ @7 =68:D=2E:@?]k^Am
kAmx? 36EH66?[ H92E @44FCC65 H2D 7:G6 >@?E9D @7 ?62C=J ?@?DE@A F8=:?6DD — 72:=65 s6>@4C2E:4 677@CED E@ DE@A E96 xC2B H2C[ 2 7C24E:@FD 2?5 7FE:=6 7:89E @G6C :>>:8C2E:@? C67@C>[ G6?867F= 6I6C4:D6D @7 =68:D=2E:G6 @G6CD:89E 56D:8?65 E@ 5:D4C65:E E96 qFD9 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ 2?5 D9@FE:?8 >2E496D 36EH66? >2;@C:EJ s6>@4C2ED 2?5 >:?@C:EJ #6AF3=:42?D]k^Am
kAmtG6? E96 AC6\25;@FC?>6?E =68:D=2E:G6 AFD9 H2D 4=@F565 @G6C 3J 2 C2F4@FD =2E6\?:89E 5FDE\FA @G6C 2 E9H2CE65 w@FD6 v~! >@G6 E@ 56?J 36?67:ED E@ :==682= :>>:8C2?ED E92E >256 7@C 8C62E E6=6G:D:@?[ 5@F3E=6DD C6:?7@C4:?8 E96 AF3=:4’D :>AC6DD:@? @7 2 r@?8C6DD :? E@E2= 5:D2CC2J]k^Am
kAmxE’D ?@E 2 4@>A=6E6 >:D:>AC6DD:@?] !2CE:D2? HC2?8=:?8 :D E96 5@>:?2?E 24E:G:EJ @7 E9:D r@?8C6DD] xE >2<6D 2 >@4<6CJ @7 E96 76CG6?E AC@4=2>2E:@?D 3J =6256CD @7 3@E9 A2CE:6D :? y2?F2CJ E92E E96J F?56CDE@@5 G@E6CD’ 5:D>2J H:E9 6?5=6DD[ ?665=6DD A@:?E\D4@C:?8 2?5 E96 56D:C6 E92E r@?8C6DD D@=G6 E96:C FC86?E AC@3=6>D]k^Am
kAmr@?8C6DD’ 72:=FC6 E@ >2<6 AC@3=6>\D@=G:?8 :ED 5@>:?2?E 24E:G:EJ 244@F?ED 7@C :ED =@H AF3=:4 6DE66>] !@==D @? AF3=:4 2AAC@G2= @7 r@?8C6DD 2G6C286 aa A6C46?E[ 4@>A2C65 H:E9 bb A6C46?E 7@C qFD9] p? }qr^(2== $EC66E y@FC?2= A@== D9@H65 E92E @?=J `c A6C46?E 92G6 4@?7:56?46 E92E r@?8C6DD H:== 5@ E96 C:89E E9:?8]k^Am
kAmqFE r@?8C6DD 92D 5@?6 D@>6 E9:?8D C:89E E9:D J62C] }@E:46 D9@F=5 36 E2<6? @7 E96>]k^Am
kAmp DE2E:DE:42= CF?5@H? 3J qC@@<:?8D x?DE:EFE:@? D49@=2CD AF3=:D965 :? %96 }6H *@C< %:>6D @? pF8] ae D9@H65 E92E E96 4FCC6?E w@FD6 :D CF??:?8 H6== 29625 @7 C646?E r@?8C6DD6D :? E6C>D @7 52JD :? D6DD:@?[ 3:==D A2DD65 2?5 962C:?8D 96=5] %96 $6?2E6 92D 2 >:I65 C64@C5]k^Am
kAm~?6 F?2AAC64:2E65 244@>A=:D9>6?E H2D @G6CH96=>:?8 A2DD286 @7 2 Scb 3:==:@? AC@8C2> 56D:8?65 E@ 3@=DE6C p>6C:42’D 4@>A6E:E:G6?6DD 3J 5@F3=:?8 :ED D4:6?E:7:4 C6D62C49 3F586E 2?5 EC2:?:?8 >@C6 D4:6?E:DED 2?5 =:?8F:DED]k^Am
kAm$A@?D@C65 3J $6?D] {2>2C p=6I2?56C[ #\%6??][ 2?5 y677 q:?82>2?[ s\}]|][ 2?5 #6AD] q2CE v@C5@?[ s\%6??][ 2?5 '6C?@? t9=6CD[ #\|:49][ E96 7:?2= 3:== A2DD65 E96 w@FD6 bef\df 2?5 3J G@:46 G@E6 H:E9@FE 5:DD6?E :? E96 $6?2E6]k^Am
kAm~E96C 3:==D A2DD65 2?5 D6?E E@ E96 AC6D:56?E E9:D J62C :?4=F56 2? :?4C62D6 :? E96 >:?:>F> H286[ =@33J:?8 2?5 6E9:4D C67@C> 2?5 9@>6=2?5 D64FC:EJ 6?92?46>6?ED 7F=7:==:?8 E96 C64@>>6?52E:@?D @7 E96 AC6D:56?E:2= h^`` r@>>:DD:@?]k^Am
kAmp=D@ @? E96 =:DE[ 3FE E96 DF3;64E @7 @?8@:?8 A2CE:D2? 5:G:D:@?[ H2D =2DE\>:?FE6 =68:D=2E:@? 2FE9@C:K:?8 E96 8@G6C?>6?E E@ 4@?5F4E ?@\H2CC2?E :?E6C46AED @7 6=64EC@?:4 4@>>F?:42E:@? 36EH66? EH@ @G6CD62D A2CE:6D H96? E96 >6DD286D A2DD E9C@F89 2 D6CG6C :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAmr:G:= =:36CE:6D 8C@FAD[ >2?J s6>@4C2ED 2?5 D@>6 65:E@C:2= HC:E6CD 4@?E6?5 E92E E96 >62DFC6 2FE9@C:K65 “5@>6DE:4 DAJ:?8 @? &]$] 4:E:K6?D[” 3FE E96 @3;64E:@?D D66> E@ C67=64E 5:DECFDE @7 E96 qFD9 25>:?:DEC2E:@? >@C6 E92? 2?J =66H2J :? E96 =2H E@ E2A A6CD@?D :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAmr@?8C6DD H:== C6G:D:E E96 :DDF6 2?5 E@ E96 6IE6?E E92E 4@?EC@G6CDJ 4@?E:?F6D[ :E H:== C6:?7@C46 AF3=:4 5:D>2J E92E :ED =6256CD H@F=5 C2E96C 7:89E E92? AC@E64E E96> 7C@> E6CC@C:D>]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ D@>6 @7 E96 4=2:>65 244@>A=:D9>6?ED @7 E96 s6>@4C2E:4 r@?8C6DD 2C6 =6DD E92? DE6==2C] t?6C8J 3:==D A2DD65 3J 3@E9 492>36CD 72== 72C D9@CE @7 D6EE:?8 E96 ?2E:@? @? 2 A2E9 E@ :?56A6?56?46] }6:E96C 4@?E2:?D 2 82D@=:?6 E2I[ 6?4@FC286>6?E 7@C ?F4=62C A@H6C @C AC@G:D:@?D E@ 6IA2?5 p>6C:42’D 6=64EC:4:EJ 8C:5]k^Am
kAmu2C> =68:D=2E:@? E92E A2DD65 E96 w@FD6 =:>:ED DF3D:5:6D E@ E96 C:496DE p>6C:42? 72C>6CD 3FE 32D:42==J =62G6D :?E24E 2 DF3D:5J DJDE6> 7@C 4@CA@C2E6 72C>6CD E92E 2CE:7:4:2==J :?7=2E6D =2?5 G2=F6D[ :?9:3:ED CFC2= 56G6=@A>6?E[ 9FCED 72C>6CD :? A@@C 4@F?EC:6D 2?5 AFED E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D :? 52?86C @7 H@C=5 EC256 D2?4E:@?D]k^Am
kAmqFD9 92D D:8?2=65 9:D :?E6?E:@? E@ G6E@ 3@E9 E96 w@FD6 72C> 3:== 2?5 E96 $6?2E6 6?6C8J 3:== — 2?5 2=D@ 3@E9 E96 w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 >62DFC6D 6IA2?5:?8 E96 $E2E6 r9:=5C6?’D w62=E9 x?DFC2?46 !C@8C2>] %96 $6?2E6 $rwx! 3:== 92D 7F?5:?8 7=2HD 3FE 32D:42==J :D 2 C6DA@?D:3=6[ 3:A2CE:D2? 3:== E92E 56D6CG6D E@ DFCG:G6 2 G6E@]k^Am
kAm(:E9 r@?8C6DD 324<[ E96 AC@DA64E :D 7@C >@C6 4@>32E H:E9 qFD9[ =2C86=J @G6C DA6?5:?8 2?5 xC2B] %96 4@F?ECJ H:== 36 =F4<J E@ 2G@:5 8@G6C?>6?E D9FE5@H?D 2D E96 EH@ D:56D EC256 492C86D E92E E96 @E96C :D 7:D42==J :CC6DA@?D:3=6]k^Am
kAmp?5 2 7=FCCJ @7 AC@8C6DD C6A@CED @? xC2B :D @?=J DE:>F=2E:?8 ?6H C2?4@C[ 56DA:E6 H:56DAC625 F?56C=J:?8 28C66>6?E E92E EC@@A H:E95C2H2=D ?665 E@ 36 8C25F2= 2?5 C6DA@?D:3=6]k^Am
kAmr@?8C6DD 2?5 E96 qFD9 25>:?:DEC2E:@? @F89E E@ C6D@=G6 E@ :>AC@G6 E96:C AF3=:4 6DE66> ?@E 2E 6249 @E96C’D 6IA6?D6[ 3FE 3J D66<:?8 28C66>6?E :? E96 AF3=:4 :?E6C6DE] p5>:EE65=J[ E96 492?46D 2C6 D=:>]k^Am
kAm|@CE@? z@?5C24<6 :D 6I64FE:G6 65:E@C @7 #@== r2==[ E96 ?6HDA2A6C @7 r2A:E@= w:==]k^Am