Defying the conventional wisdom that they can’t accomplish anything significant during the last few weeks of an even-numbered year, lawmakers in our nation’s capital recently concluded a remarkable period of post-election activity, which culminated with the approval of several important legislative priorities that had previously been stalled.
Led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, Democrats rallied to advance legislation that strengthens civil rights, food safety, and health care for first responders to President Barack Obama’s desk. The Senate also ratified the New START treaty with the Russian Federation and confirmed several of the President’s judicial nominees to the bench.
“I think it’s fair to say that this has been the most productive post-election period we’ve had in decades, and it comes on the heels of the most productive two years that we’ve had in generations,” President Obama said at an afternoon news conference the Wednesday before Christmas.
His assessment is spot-on. Although extending the Bush tax cuts was an irresponsible mistake, just about everything else Congress did has the potential to raise America’s quality of life. For instance, the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is one of the most significant civil rights victories at the federal level in years. The end of this ill-conceived, discriminatory policy can’t come soon enough. Its official end — which is now just months away — fulfills an important campaign promise made by President Obama to the American people during the 2008 campaign, and ensures that gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members will no longer have to lie about who they are.
Then there’s the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act, the biggest overhaul to regulations protecting our food supply in more than seven decades. This legislation was actually the first major bill the Senate took action on after reconvening in November, but the version that senators voted on contained a major glitch, and the bill was pronounced dead by many pundits. Remarkably, the Senate roused itself and unanimously approved a glitch-free version less than a hundred hours before it adjourned. As a consequence, the bill is now headed to President Obama’s desk.
When it goes into effect, the FDA will have the authority to order product recalls itself, the power to collect fees from companies that require re-inspections, and the ability to set new standards for producing and harvesting produce. It must also establish offices in at least five countries abroad to improve oversight over imported food, and identify the top food-borne threats to human health every two years. It’s not perfect, but it’s a huge (and long overdue) step forward.
And then there’s the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, intended to take care of the heroes who responded to the attacks of Sept. 11 and became sick as a result of exposure to carcinogens at Ground Zero. The bill provides free medical treatment and compensation to emergency personnel who responded to the calamities of that awful day.
It should have been completely uncontroversial, but unfortunately, it was sickeningly filibustered by Senate Republicans earlier this month when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid brought it up for a vote. Republicans only dropped their opposition after being hit with a firestorm of criticism, including a memorable segment on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in which afflicted New York City police officers and firefighters registered their disgust with Mitch McConnell and his caucus for flying the elephant above the Stars and Stripes.
Finally, the Senate’s ratification of the New START treaty – which wasn’t a sure thing up until the final vote – is a significant victory for America’s national defense and an important milestone on the path to world peace. Negotiated with Russia from April 2009 to April 2010, the treaty reduces the number of strategic nuclear missile launchers by half and provides for the creation of a new inspection and verification system. While it isn’t as ambitious as the first START treaty, it is an essential step forward.
Its approval is the final triumph of the 111th Congress, which, for the good of the country, morphed from a lame duck into a sprinting cheetah to complete vitally important (and unfinished) business in time for the new year.
Gridlock may lie ahead, but at least the aforementioned accomplishments will not fall victim to it. That’s something we can be thankful for this holiday season.
Andrew Villeneuve is the founder and executive director of the Northwest Progressive Institute, a Redmond-based grassroots organization. Villeneuve can be reached at andrew@nwprogressive.org.
