Reid Blasts Do-Nothing GOP Congress

[Bob Geiger]

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) took his morning time slot on the Senate floor yesterday to blast Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and his Republican colleagues for spending the bulk of the 109th Congress wasting time on nonsense issues and avoiding the real problems facing America. Reid was responding to Frist's stated goal of ending before the scheduled October 6 Senate adjournment date and to "… wrap up work on as many appropriations bills and other must-pass measures before September 27.''

"This new adjournment date means the Senate has only 8 more weeks in which it will be in session, 40 business days," said Reid on Monday morning. "If we subtract Labor Day, that makes 39 days. If we subtract Mondays and Fridays--which seem to be what we subtract on a weekly basis--there are 23 legislative days left in the 109th Congress--23 days and so much to do."

Reid then listed the issues that have guided so much of the Senate's time in this session under Frist's leadership.

"For months, what some have deemed the do-nothing Republican Congress has wasted time on issues such as the nuclear option, the marriage amendment, drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, flag burning, bankruptcy class action, and, of course, time and again, the estate tax repeal," said Reid.

"As a result, here we are with only a handful of weeks remaining -- in fact, a handful of days, 23 -- to do so much and to address the priorities of the American people."

Reid talked about a road trip he recently took to visit constituents in rural areas of Nevada -- where the price of gas is an especially important issue -- and said that what he's hearing from average Americans is not reflected in what the GOP has chosen as its legislative goals in 2005 and 2006.

"The price of gas this past week has gone up 11 cents a gallon," said Reid. "The average price now in Nevada is over $3 a gallon, more than 50 cents a gallon than it was just a year ago. Families are pouring their savings into their gas tanks, but this Republican Congress has done nothing to help them--and I mean nothing."

"While they have been quick to address nonissues that the far right wants -- and these issues have no hope of passing -- they spend valuable time on the Senate floor sending a message to their base, is what we are told," the Nevada senator continued. "Have we done anything about alternative energy? Nothing. Nothing to harness the sun, the wind, geothermal. Have we done anything to look at global warming? No, nothing."

Reid continued by castigating Frist and the Republican party for their total inaction on the health care crisis -- Reid cited 100,000 Nevada children alone who cannot get medical care -- the delay in voting on meaningful stem cell legislation and the slow-roll being taken on reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act.

"People gave their lives so the Voting Rights Act would pass; they literally gave their lives," said Reid. "Literally, they let their blood. They were beaten, stomped, kicked, shot, stabbed, and killed. We need to pass this Voting Rights Act. We need to move it on. It is going to expire. We need to pass it now. Reauthorizing it will help ensure that every American citizen has the ability to cast their ballot regardless of the language they speak or the color of their skin or where they live."

The Minority Leader ended with a plea to Frist to get off his butt and quickly move forward, at the very least, on the stem cell bills and the Voting Rights Act.

"So I hope my friend, the distinguished majority leader, in scheduling legislation for this month, when we get past the Homeland Security appropriations bill, will go to one of these two bills and then go to the other one and finish them," said Reid. "It will be a good day for the Senate and a really good day for our country."

"We have 23 legislative days remaining and a list of items we need to accomplish that is a mile long. To say we need to get to work is an understatement."

You can reach Bob Geiger at [e-mail].