Does Mark Kennedy’s Ad Blame Congress ?

Let’s give Mark Kennedy credit for a very entertaining batch of television commercials.

In his latest, entitled “Family Meeting,” Mark hears his daughter’s complaint of rising gas prices, and responds that a line-item veto is needed in Washington. ( The logic is befuddling – if we had low gas prices, would that mean that we wouldn’t operate a budget deficit?)

Kennedy for months has been attempting to campaign as a Washington-outsider, yet his votes have been critical to the financial mess that we are in ( quick examples : Medicare Part-D Prescription Drug and the TransPORKtation bill with its Bridge to Nowhere and the largest government loan to a private business -DM&E railroad.)

So, now is Kennedy saying that Congress is so inept, irresponsible, and corrupt that it should alter the Constitutional principle of Balance of Powers and give the Executive Branch the power to determine what projects are funded?
Isn’t the real problem that Congress is doing its job of restraining pork-barrel spending?
Look in the mirror, Congressman Kennedy – the problem is you … not the Constitution.

Considering that this is an election year, one would think that Congress would be financially prudent. Let’s consider a major spending bill that was approved on June 14, 2006 for the FY2007 budget. It is H.R.5576 (aka the next TranPORKtation bill) and it was approved by a vote of 406-22 with Kennedy voting in support although, according Representative Jeff Flake, the bill includes 1,500 earmarks. Due to the way that the House of Representatives operates, there can be votes on amendments to a bill before final passage. Some are amended based on voice votes – for example $300,000 was eliminated for the funding of a Gay and Lesbian Center in Los Angeles while $1.5 million was approved for the construction of the William Faulkner Museum at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS. Other amendments actually require a roll call vote. Through the Congressional Record, the House approved such projects as : $500,000 in funding to be used for renovations to the Banning, California city-owned pool ( why did Gil Gutknecht support this? See Roll Call 277) although San Bernardino Sun reports that Banning city officials have been “stockpiling” this federal funding in order to build the new pool, which will serve a town of 26,000 and will cost approximately $4 million to build; and $250,000 in funding by the Strand Theater Arts Center in Plattsburgh, New York, to convert the Strand Theater into a performing arts center (why did John Kline support this? See Roll Call 280).

With what the media has reported involving criminal investigations regarding earmarks – notably by Randy Cunningham (R-CA), Jerry Lewis (R-Ca) and Alan Mollohan (D-WV) – this should be adequate warning that Congress needs to address its role in how it operates.

Reforming how Congress operates should be a priority. Besides restraining earmarks, Congress should require a mandatory time period so that bills may be reviewed before final passage. Case in point, the authorizations for loans such as DM&E which went from $3.5 Billion to $35 Billion overnight without anyone noticing, should have been caught and debated. A three day minimum makes sense … but with this Congress that may be in voting session only 80 days this year which could be a problem.

Passing the responsibility for government spending to the Executive Branch is abdicating Congressional responsibility and power.

One of the reasons that are often cited for a line-item veto is that most state governors have that power. Well, let’s remember that all state governors also have the responsibility for a balanced budget.

Congress needs to operate under a Pay-As-You-Go budget process and operated a balanced budget.

Congressman Kennedy, with your CPA and MBA, you should know that already.

Is Congress so enmeshed in its reelection efforts to see that the people currently in Congress are the problem? Responsible change is needed.