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Congress concludes 2007 with success
Last week also served as a reminder to the majority party that legislating is not a one-party mission. The White House and congressional Republicans worked to achieve bipartisan solutions to the priorities of the American people - priorities that heretofore had been unresolved by this Congress. Consider a few examples: Iraq - Throughout this past year, the Democratic Party has attempted to tie needed funding for our military men and women to arbitrary deadlines undercutting the ability of our troops to accomplish their mission. As part of the omnibus spending bill passed last week, Congress included $70 billion in funding without strings for Iraq and Afghanistan. S-CHIP - Congress voted to put politics aside this week and extend the popular State Children's Health Insurance Plan (S-CHIP) until March of 2009. Approved with a strong bipartisan mandate, the extension ensures full funding of SCHIP through the coming year, and places it safely out of range of the 2008 elections. The bill passed last week is a step in the right direction, continuing to provide health insurance for poor American children and not adults and illegal immigrants. Medicare Cuts - Physicians, who care for Medicare patients throughout our country, were facing a stiff reimbursement cut in the New Year. The cut, which would have reduced Medicare payments to doctors by 10 percent, is based on a Medicare cost containment formula called the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). -Energy - The president last week signed an energy bill passed by Congress that will improve vehicle fuel economy and help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. I am hopeful we will be able to carry this momentum and spirit of bipartisanship into the New Year for the good our country. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
