Why do cons keep posting the ridiculous question about the Dem Congress?

Question

Saying they haven't done anything when in fact

Democrats have passed a series of measures to advance the agenda of the Ameriacn people:

Democrats Passed First Minimum Wage Increase in a Decade. “The nation's lowest-paid workers will soon find extra money in their pockets as the minimum wage rises 70 cents to $5.85 an hour today, the first increase in a decade. It ends the longest span without a federal minimum wage increase since it was enacted in 1938. The previous increase came in September 1997, when a bill signed by President Bill Clinton raised the minimum 40 cents, to $5.15 an hour. Legislation signed by President Bush in May increases the wage 70 cents each summer until 2009, when all minimum-wage jobs will pay no less than $7.25 an hour.” [Associated Press, 7/24/07]

Democrats Passed War Spending Bill that Included $6 Billion for Hurricane Relief. “The war spending bill provides about $95 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through Sept. 30 and billions in domestic projects, including more than $6 billion for hurricane relief.” [Associated Press, 5/25/07]

Democrats Passed Wounded Warriors Bill to Upgrade Military Health Care and Provide a 3.5% Pay Raise for Our Troops. “Senate Democrats scored a crucial pre-recess legislative win Wednesday, as a veterans’ healthcare measure and military pay raise previously attached to the stalled defense authorization bill passed unanimously. Republicans sought to add the 3.5 percent pay increase to the healthcare bill, dubbed the Wounded Warriors Act, before allowing immediate passage of the package.” [The Hill, 7/26/07]

Democrats Passed Legislation Out of Committee Providing the Largest Increase for Veterans Affairs Funding in History. “House and Senate appropriators are both confidently moving forward with their proposals to give the Veterans Affairs Department its largest-ever budget increase to address the increasing health care needs of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House passed its version of the fiscal 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill (HR 2642) June 15 by a vote of 409-2. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 28-1, its draft version on June 14.” [CQ Today, 6/15/07]

Iraq Supplemental Appropriations Bill Included Additional $1.8 Billion for Veterans’ Health Care. “The House and Senate approved the $120 billion package yesterday. The president had requested $103 billion, but Congress added additional spending requirements to increase veterans’ health care programs by $1.8 billion, military construction and realignment by almost $5 billion, and homeland security by more than $1 billion.” [VFW Press Release, 5/25/07]

Democrats Passed Bill to Implement 9/11 Commission Recommendations. “The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation yesterday to implement many of the remaining reforms suggested by the Sept. 11 commission, answering its three-year-old call for better emergency communications; more money for cities at high risk of terrorist attacks; and tighter security for air cargo, ports, chemical plants and rail systems.” [Washington Post, 3/14/07]

Democrats Passed Ethics and Lobbying Reform Bill. “Senate Democrats and Republicans broke a difficult stalemate last night and approved 96 to 2 expansive legislation to curtail the influence of lobbyists, tighten congressional ethics rules and prevent the spouses of senators from lobbying senators and their staffs. The Senate legislation, hailed by proponents as the most significant ethics reform since Watergate, would ban gifts, meals and travel funded by lobbyists, and would force lawmakers to attach their names to special-interest provisions and pet projects that they slip into bills. Lawmakers would have to pay charter rates on corporate jets, not the far-cheaper first-class rates they pay now.” [Washington Post, 1/19/07]

Democrats Passed Bill to Cut Subsidies to Student Lenders and Provide $17 Billion in Grants and Other Student Aid. “The Senate overwhelmingly approved a wide-ranging overhaul of student loan programs early today that would pay for more than $17 billion in grants and other student aid by slashing subsidies to lending companies. Democrats and student advocates said the legislation, which passed in a 78 to 18 vote, would help millions of Americans pay for college in a time of steady and often steep tuition increases.” [Washington Post, 7/19/07]

Democrats Passed a Bill to Better Regulate the Student Loan Industry. “Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts made the comments shortly after senators passed legislation (S 1642) to reauthorize the primary law governing colleges, universities and federal aid by an overwhelming margin of 95-0…. The underlying bill would increase the amount of information that schools and lenders must provide to students — including up-front disclosure of loan rates and terms and data on total school costs — and would ban lenders from giving schools financial aid funds or any other perks to get on a preferred lender list…. The bill would require colleges and universities to draft codes of conduct governing relationships with lenders; shorten the application form for federal student aid; and authorize a pilot program to allow students to learn the total aid they can expect to receive up to two years in advance.” [CQ Today, 7/24/07]

Democrats Passed a Fiscally Responsible Budget. “Congress gave final approval on Thursday to a $2.9 trillion budget plan that promises big spending increases for education and health care and a federal surplus in five years… Democrats said their budget measure would put the government $41 billion in the black by 2012, after steady deficits since 2002. They said the measure also would reversing Bush's clampdown on domestic agencies' annual budgets passed by Congress… The budget plan would lock in a promise by Democrats to restore pay-as-you-go rules. Republicans abandoned these in 2001 to pass Bush's tax cuts.” [Associated Press, 5/17/07]

Democrats Passed Energy Bill That Increased Fuel-Efficiency Standards for First Time Since 1975. “The Senate passed a sweeping energy legislation package last night that would mandate the first substantial change in the nation's vehicle fuel-efficiency law since 1975 despite opposition from auto companies and their Senate supporters… The package, which still must pass the House, would also require that the use of biofuels climb to 36 billion gallons by 2022, would set penalties for gasoline price-gouging and would give the government new powers to investigate oil companies' pricing. It would provide federal grants and loan guarantees to promote research into fuel-efficient vehicles and would support test projects to capture carbon dioxide from coal-burning power plants to be stored underground.” [Washington Post, 6/22/07]

Meanwhile time after time the Senate Republicans have obstructed progress on America's priorities:

Democrats Pushed for A New Direction in Iraq; Republicans Obstructed. On July 17 and July 18, Democrats held an all night debate to force a change of course in Iraq. Republicans obstructed Democratic attempts to vote on the Levin-Reed Amendment 8 times. Republicans have obstructed progress on legislation calling for a change of course in Iraq 8 times earlier in the year. [Senate Floor Proceedings, 7/17/07-7/18/07; Senate Vote #241, HR 1585, 7/11/07; Senate Vote #171, HR 2206, 5/17/07; Senate Vote #167, HR 1495, 5/16/07; Senate Vote #117, HR 1591, 3/28/07; Senate Vote #74, S.J.Res. 9, 3/14/07; Senate Vote #51, S. 574, 2/17/07; Senate Vote #44, S. 470, 2/5/07; Senate Vote #43, S. Con. Res. 2, 2/1/07]

Democrats Tried to Pass a Minimum Wage Increase; Republicans Obstructed. On January 24, Republicans blocked a bill that would have increased the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over two years. [Senate Vote #23, HR 2, 1/24/07]

Democrats Tried to Pass Tax Incentives for Clean Energy; Republicans Obstructed. On June 21, Republicans blocked an amendment that would have established $32.1 billion of tax incentives for alternative energy sources while imposing taxes on the oil and gas industry. The amendment would have created $3.6 billion worth of renewable energy bonds, established $11 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy and authorize $2.5 billion for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act. [Senate Vote #223, HR 6, 6/21/07]

Democrats Tried Twice to Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform; Republicans Obstructed. On June 7 and June 28, Republicans blocked debate on comprehensive immigration reform. [Senate Vote #206, S. 1348, 6/7/07; Senate Vote #235, S. 1639, 6/28/07]

Democrats Tried to Pass Intelligence Authorization; Republicans Obstructed. On April 16, Republicans blocked consideration of the Intelligence Authorization bill, which would have authorized classified amounts in fiscal 2007 for U.S. intelligence activities and agencies including the CIA, the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency. [Senate Vote #130, S. 372, 4/16/07]

Democrats Passed War Supplemental Funding Bill With Measures to Change Direction in Iraq; President Bush Vetoed the Bill. “President Bush used his veto pen for only the second time Tuesday after Congress sent him a war spending bill that would impose timelines to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, which he called a ‘prescription for chaos.’” [NBC News, 5/1/06]

Democrats Passed a Bill to Expand Stem Cell Research; President Bush Vetoed the Bill. “President Bush yesterday vetoed legislation to expand federally funded embryonic stem cell research, saying that scientific advances now allow researchers to pursue the potentially lifesaving work without destroying human embryos.” [Washington Post, 6/21/07]

Answer 1

The 110th Congress has done quite a bit, more in six months than the 109th Congress did in two years. That is, unless you count indictments and scandals. The 110th Congress just hasn't done anything the the con's likings. Neocons have this strange belief that if you keep repeating the same lie often enough that people will start believing it. It seems to work, somewhat. Look how many people believe that Gore claimed he invented the Internet.

Answer 2

It’s part of the con propaganda attack on Democrats. They think that if they just keep repeating the same standard line over and over again someone will believe it. They started it when the Democrat-led Congress had been in control for only two weeks and some idiots started it before the new Democrats had even been sworn in.

Answer 3

It's politics both parties do this all the time. When the Republicans had control the Democrats did the same thing.

Answer 4

maybe because there Republican controlled congress and Republican white house. did nothing but spend spend spend. for 6 years

Now we have a working Democrat congress, yes we need a few more seat and you can bet the bank we will be getting them.

Answer 5

Wow your right. Congress passed 11 "important" pieces of legislation in 6 months. I hope they recovery from all the hard work.

Answer 6

More partisan questions. It took dem and repubs to get those bills passed.
It will take you and me paying more taxes to pay for them.

Pointing fingers and slapping yourself on the back doesn't get much done.

Answer 7

now Liberals and Democrats are back in the same old same old again. "Blame Everything on Bush and GOP."

So Democrats lied to America as usual - "We will take the lead and Change." As far as I concern, nothing is changed.

Answer 8

they can pass it off as "do nothing" because either the Republicans shoot it down, or Bush keeps using his little rubber stamp. So effectively it looks to them like nothing is being done since nothing is being passed.

Answer 9

Using a minimum wage increase as a defense is probably not a great idea. Raising the minimum wage only forces inflation, any first year economics student can tell you that.

Answer 10

Because that is what Rush tells them to think, and they take the half-wit far too seriously.