Congress finally ended its session just before Christmas, leaving town unified behind the war against terrorism, but doing little to resolve partisan disputes over domestic issues.
It is interesting to look back at the past year – the 107th Congress began last January with peace, prosperity and budget surpluses and ended late last month (more than two months after its original target date for adjournment) with war, recession and budget deficits. Moreover, following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Federal government and Congress were back in favor with a majority of Americans, according to polls. However, unless an emergency occurs in the next few weeks, Congress will reconvene on January 23 with a large amount of unfinished business complicated by wartime budget pressures and this November’s mid-term congressional elections, when control of both the Senate and House will be at stake.
In reviewing the first session of the 107th Congress, there was bipartisanship not seen in a long time, peaking after the September 11 attacks. Congress authorized the war in Afghanistan, approved $40 billion in emergency spending, passed a $15 billion airline industry bailout, approved new governmental powers to track and detain suspected terrorists, enacted tighter security measures for airline travel, and delivered President Bush his landmark education bill.
However, as the year came to an end, enduring political divisions reappeared and grew sharper, fueled in part by the Democrats taking over the evenly-divided Senate in early summer. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle ended the session at odds over economic and social policy. Congress went home at an impasse over economic stimulus legislation, as well as a bill to create a Federal backup to pay for terrorist-related insurance claims when approximately 70 percent of reinsurance contracts expired on December 31.
When Congress reconvenes later this month, Democrats and Republicans will remain divided over a wide array of legislation, including energy and trade policy, farm subsidies, healthcare and campaign finance reform. The battle for the control of both chambers this November will almost certainly complicate the task of reaching compromises and agreements on these contentious issues. Further, the mounting costs of the war in Afghanistan, along with the expenses of homeland security, are expected to create another budget battle as President Bush will seek to draw a line on governmental expenditures and congressional Democrats push for spending on costly health and other domestic initiatives.
<I>Oilspot News/Flashpoint</I> will keep you apprised of congressional developments throughout 2002.
