Carper's Corner
What Might Have Been
October 12, 2006Wilmington, DE -- The end of the 109th Congress gives us a good opportunity to reflect at what we were able to accomplish this year and what “might have been.”
Unfortunately, as has been too often the case since I came to the Senate in 2001, “what might have been” trumps what we were actually able to get done. I share the frustration of many of my colleagues and constituents who wish that we would put progress in front of partisanship.
It’s frustrating because I believe that on any number of issues that I’ve worked on – such as energy independence, global warming, rail security, budget reform, etc. – there exists a coalition of the willing waiting to strike when the iron is hot. Unfortunately, slim majorities in the House and the Senate, the focus on the upcoming November elections, and in some cases, plain old stubbornness on behalf of lawmakers and interest groups meant that the iron never even got warmed up.
After the election, Congress will reconvene for the an unfortunately-titled “lame duck” session, and I still hold out hope that we can finish up work on at least two issues that my staff and I have worked very hard to get done this year – legislation designed to modernize the U.S. Postal Service and to create a strong, independent regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which together own or guarantee 40 percent of residential mortgages in this country.
But while Congress’ track record on many “big picture” issues this year was less than stellar, we still managed to get a lot of work done.
The Delaware Delegation – comprised of two Democratic senators (myself being one of them) and a Republican congressman – shares a willingness to work together that is, unfortunately, rarely seen inside the Washington beltway. This spirit of cooperation has resulted in some very positive gains for Delaware. Among those that stand out in my memory are how we joined forces to save the Delaware Air National Guard, fought for funding to replenish Delaware's beaches, managed to persuade the Veterans Administration to build a new outpatient clinic in Kent County, laid the groundwork for the Delaware Health Information Network, advocated to prohibit bonus payments to defense contractors whose weapons systems don’t meet specified performance standards, continued our fight to support cost-effective airlift capabilities in the 21st Century – including the upgrading of C-5 Galaxy aircraft instead of sending them to the “bone yard.”
I was also able – along with Senators Coburn, Obama and McCain - to push through legislation that gives taxpayers the ability to track approximately $1 trillion in federal grants, contracts, earmarks and loans. This legislation was signed into law by the president and will shed some much-needed light on federal spending and allow the public to decide for themselves whether taxpayer dollars are being well-managed.
In addition, in the closing hours of the 109th Congress, the Senate approved legislation that directs the National Park Service to study the feasibility of establishing a national park in Delaware. To this day, Delaware remains the only state in the nation without a national park, and I believe it's time that we put Delaware on the map and help spur additional tourism in the state. Our next move will be to obtain the funding for this study in the near future.
Sometimes you can't measure progress in Congress just by how many bills you pass. Progress can also be made simply by beginning to develop a consensus on how to address some of the knotty issues that we face.
For instance, although we didn't enact clean air legislation this year, I'm pleased that we were able to improve and then re-introduce and build additional support for legislation that I've been pushing for the past several years. Earlier this year, we managed to reintroduce it, make it stronger, and add additional Democratic and Republican cosponsors in both the House and Senate, while obtaining additional backing from environmental and health groups, yet holding onto the support of some of our nation’s largest utilities. By doing this, we enhance our chances that we could finally act on this important legislation, designed to reduce mercury pollution and take our first steps on combating global warming, sometime next year.
Another issue I have high hopes for is legislation that would promote the use of electronic personal health records, such as we’ve done in the VA system. Several bills on this issue -- including one I introduced this year with Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio -- are currently floating around Congress, proving to me that more and more senators believe we should be doing more to use the latest technology to cut down on medical errors and improve healthcare for people across this country.
In addition, no matter who's in charge next year, we need to get serious about real budget reform. Despite news reports showing that our budget deficit is shrinking, we still face ongoing budget problems and the retirement of the Baby Boom generation, which will put even more pressure on government spending. We have to do everything we can to restore fiscal discipline in Washington. Just before recess, I introduced, with a group of my bipartisan colleagues, legislation that would reinstitute a budget enforcement rule called “pay as you go,” as well legislation providing a “four-year test drive” providing the President a line-item veto. My hope is we can move on that legislation early next year during our annual debate on the budget.
In closing, I want to say that, at times, partisanship is a necessity. But it should be an exception, not the rule. One of the reasons why Congress’ approval ratings continue to tank is that the people want – and rightfully deserve – for us to get things done. They are tired of all the sniping and want us to work together to make life better for Americans.
Whoever takes control of Congress the election in November should be mindful of that and focus on getting things done and working to enact a bipartisan agenda for the American people.