Commentary
It’s Christmas Eve Day, a good day to put the ugly past political year in the rearview mirror, but not before one last critical commentary.
The Spectator headline probably said it all: “Democrats and Republicans agree … on wasting taxpayer dollars.”
It’s safe to say that no one in the Senate read the contents of the 4,155-page bill, but, hey, they had to get home for the holidays before the winter storm hit.
“There’s just something about dumping debt on the American people that brings both sides of the Swamp together,” wrote contributing writer Grace Curley.
Two retiring senators, Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Republican Richard Shelby of Alabama, worked together to pile up niceties as their going-out prizes. An FBI building in Alabama will be renamed after Shelby, while the Lake Champlain Basin Program and an existing school lunch program will be renamed after Leahy. Shameful!
“I’m pretty proud of the fact that with a Democrat president and a Democrat Senate, we were able to achieve essentially all of our priorities,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Who said the two parties can’t reach across the aisle when required? What a crock.
By coincidence – I heard Fox Business Channel anchor David Asman refer to the Senate passage of the $1.7 trillion Omnibus bill as “amoral.” Quite appropriate, I thought, until the following day, when this quote by actor/comedian Harry Shearer was the answer to the Celebrity Cipher word puzzle in the newspaper:
“If you’re looking for morals in politics, you’re looking for bananas in the cheese department.”
As to the future – The new House Majority Leader Steve Scalise declared, “One of the things we’ve talked about is changing the ways the entire appropriations process works. We can’t wait until Christmas and throw something together.
“I’ve already laid out a schedule, working with Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, who’s going to be Chair of the Appropriations Committee, so that we can actually pass all of the bills though the House before summer, and get them over to the Senate.”
Laying down a marker early that the Senate has to do their job and not wait until the midnight hour in December will be a tall order, but worth shooting for. Congress needs to get back to regular order. One can hope, right?
And speaking of hope, I’m hoping the Michigan Wolverines can defeat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31.
With that, I want to wish all of my readers and their families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May God continue to bless the United States of America.
