This week, the House passed a budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2009, which calls for tax increases (which I opposed) in order to finance additional government spending. The House also adopted a plan to establish an outside ethics panel. Finally, for the first time in 25 years the House met in a secret session to discuss the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which expired on February 16, 2008. Following the secret session, the House passed H.R. 3773, which would amend and reauthorize FISA, despite a veto threat from President Bush who claims the legislation is not adequate to meet the needs of our intelligence officials.

Iraq Progress Update

In the absence of sensationalized headlines, American media coverage of Iraq seems to have significantly waned. I therefore feel it is important to highlight the progress that is occurring as a result of the efforts of our soldiers and the will of the Iraqi people. Violence in Iraq has decreased 60 percent since the beginning of the surge and a sustained level of low violence has continued since November of last year. Al Qaeda is increasingly being rejected by the locals, as more than 90,000 Iraqi citizens have participated in the “awakening” movement and are participating in grass roots security efforts. In recent testimony before the Senate, Admiral William Fellon confirmed that “the most significant development in Iraq over the last year has been the dramatic decrease in violence.” The Iraqi Parliament has responded to this with adoption of a budget, the passage of a law permitting former Baath party members to work for the government and a plan for provincial elections later this year – three important diplomatic milestones. However, we know these gains that have been made are reversible without continued commitment and cooperation. Therefore, I have cosponsored a resolution that not only supports our troops but contradicts the notion that the war has not been lost, applauds the skill, persistence, and valor of American service members, and pledges the House of Representatives will do all it can to help ensure coalition victory as soon as possible.

Breaking the Rules (Again)

House Rule XX, clause 2(a) states in part “A record vote by electronic device shall not be held open for the sole purpose of reversing the outcome of such vote.” This rule was enacted by the Democrats when they took control at the beginning of the 110th Congress, claiming to restore credibility to the business of the House. Yet on Tuesday night, after 21 minutes passed during a vote to create an outside ethics panel – already six minutes beyond the 15 allotted for the vote – 413 Members had cast their votes and the Majority was behind 204-209. During the next six minutes, no new Members cast votes; however, three of them changed their votes after arm-twisting by Democrat leaders in direct violation of the House rules they wrote. In total, the vote was held open for 31 minutes – more than twice the allotted time – for the sole purpose of affecting the outcome. The following day, a resolution was offered to investigate this incident, but the Majority chose to defeat the proposal rather than determine whether what took place was a violation of House rules. Sound familiar? A similar investigation is still pending after an incident last August in which the outcome of a vote was switched after the vote had ended. Once again, the Majority demonstrated that it will prevail no matter what the will of the House may be.

Quote of the Week

“No vote shall be held open in order to manipulate the outcome. When we take back the People’s House, we will heed that declaration.” – Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in October 2005.