Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Obstructionism Not the End Goal

With a liberal president and an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress, the Republicans have struggled to find a new role in government. Greatly marginalized, the GOP redefined itself by its staunch opposition to the Democrats’ policies. As the Republican Party continues to move rightward, it has made a point to fight the major efforts of the Obama White House. The Democratic congressional majority, in its inability to pass much of its legislative agenda, has pinned the GOP with the epithet “Party of No,” claiming that the shortcomings of Congress stem from pure partisan obstructionism by the Republicans.

There are many things wrong with this label. For one, there is the assumption that being a Party of No is a bad thing. When the government is growing and spending on a scale never before seen in American history, in ways that are both unsustainable and constitutionally questionable, it is comforting to have representatives willing to question.

Furthermore it is ridiculous to place blame solely on the Republicans for obstructionism when the Democrats have a majority in both the House and Senate. Congress is an institution that relies greatly on compromise. It may be more likely that Republicans cast votes against certain bills because of Democrats’ inability to negotiate, rather than their evil, soulless and fascist character. Nevertheless, using sheer numbers and crafty procedural tricks, the Democrats have managed to either override Republicans on key votes or to simply arrange votes in such a way that force Republicans to vote unfavorably in the eyes of the public.

The most prominent example of the Democrats’ procedural games was the vote on the infamous health care bill. Despite losing their filibuster-proof majority, the Democrats simply avoided the inevitable Senate debate and passed the bill by digging up a technical procedure known as reconciliation. Of course, it didn’t matter that the Democrats often criticized the use of reconciliation during the Bush years.

Then there was the controversy over unemployment benefits. Republicans generally opposed the extension of the benefits, pointing out that new spending would add to the deficit. Far from wanting to harm the unemployed, the GOP instead suggested that the unemployment benefits be taken from unspent stimulus funds. Democrats scoffed, voted over the Republicans and along with the rest of the media, labeled the GOP as insensitive to the poor.

Last week the GOP shot down a defense bill that included an amendment to end the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. GOP opposition to the bill was not primarily based on DADT, however, but grounded in a procedural trick that tacked the controversial immigration-related Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act on the same bill. While entirely unrelated to defense, the bill would have provided a pathway to amnesty for illegal immigrants who had graduated from U.S. high schools. Naturally, the GOP rejected the attempt to sneak a hot-button issue into a defense bill – but the media jumped on the vote as opposition to gay rights. The usual epithets of “homophobe” and “bigot” were applied to Republicans who turned down the legislation.

Granted, Republicans can also behave poorly, as all political parties are accustomed to do from time to time. During the Bush years they were fiscally irresponsible, liberally indulging in numerous costly programs. Consequently, they certainly deserve some blame for the public’s disgust with Congress. But shouldn’t the outrage be kept proportional, especially when the excesses of this Democratic Congress far surpass those of the Bush years? Unfortunately, the Democratic rhetoric has been emphasized by the media, which has thereby distorted the views of the public.

Last Thursday, the House GOP announced its legislative agenda, The Pledge to America. The plan makes the GOP case to the voters and attempts to break out of the Party of No label. Imperfections aside, the GOP has historically been very trustworthy when it’s stuck to its values. When the Republicans won control of the House in 1994 from a heavily Democratic Washington, the country went on to see a budget surplus and the largest economic boom in history. 2010 could be a repeat of that election. If it is, America could end up seeing the same kind of prosperity the GOP has been known for in the past.

Joseph Albanese is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service.”

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