So what has the Democratic Congress done so far?

I keep getting this question from my friends, the ones who are not too involved in the political process, but who at least voted last year and hoped the Democrats could change things in Congress and our nation. You know, the group that has been responsible for the plunging approval ratings of Congress. I have been following the happenings in Congress, but had to do some research as my memory is hazy on specific bills. I will tell you that when you Google "Democratic Congress accomplishments," you get more poll results and Democratic and Republican propoganda than actual reporting from relatively unbiased news outlets (I even went to Google News). You'd think some news source might do a story on this whole subject, with an easy to read graphic, a scorecard to show whether Congress is doing what they said they would. But after doing almost two hours of research and fact checking for this post, I can see how reporters don't get the time to do real reporting in this age of 24 hour "news".

I, of course, am not an unbiased news source, but I have compiled what I have found that Congress has done this year. I have to agree with the majority of the American people that Congress should have accomplished more, but given the new people who have recently become involved in the political process, motivated by disdain of the Bush Administration, many of these folks will be inpatient, and not have the intimate knowledge of just how slow our political process works. So for you inpatient ones, I am not justifying a lack of action, but you should know you're not the first generation in history to be frustrated with our leaders. If you thought Bush, Cheney, and Gonzalez would be impeached by now and our soldiers would be happily back home kissing their brides, I am sorry you had such high expectations with a short timeline. But here are some modest yet important accomplishments from our Congress this year:

1. Ethics reform. Before leaving town for the traditional August recess (or "district work period" as Congress always calls it), they did pass what Common Cause calls the most far-reaching ethics and lobby reform since Watergate. So while there is impatience and disappointment in Congress from many on the left, not everyone on the left feels that way. Also touting the ethics reform is Public Citizen, founded by Ralph Nader. Having worked on the Hill, I think Washington will always be Washington, and we've had complaints about elected officials' ethics since Washington himself. That won't change. But the bill does expand lobbyist disclosure of megacontributions from different sources that lobbyists bundle together, requires disclosure of who in Congress has inserted specific earmarks into appropriation bills, bans access of Senators-turned-lobbyists to the Senate gym, increases the amount of time elected and other officials must wait after leaving their job before they can lobby, and denies Senators and Representatives their pension if convicted of a felony. The legislation has been sent to President Bush.

2. Raised the minimum wage. This is the accomplishment you've probably heard touted the most by Democrats. The minimum wage is going to $7.25/hr. from $5.15 over the course of three years. The minimum wage hadn't been raised in a decade, the longest period the minimum wage has ever gone without being increased since it was enacted during the Great Depression. The President signed this.

3. Voted to raise fuel economy standards for the first time in 30 years as part of a comprehensive energy bill. The House and Senate have passed different versions of energy bills, and the differences must still be worked out through a conference committee. The Senate voted to raise Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which if passed into law, would be the first time Congress has increased CAFE standards since the 1970's. Cars would go from 27.5 mpg currently to 35 mpg over time. The energy bill in the House requires all investor-owned utilities to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020 (wind, solar, etc.). The bills also repeal some of the tax favors that went to big energy interests in 2005.

4. Restored fiscal responsibility by bringing back Pay-As-You-Go. Congress used to have rules called Pay-As-You-Go, or PAYGO, meaning that any tax cut or spending increase had to be paid for somewhere else in the budget. The Republican Congress allowed this to expire. The Democrats have brought it back. And all the new spending initiatives the Democrats have proposed are paid for either through cuts in other places or closing tax loopholes. Since our government owes $9 trillion (the national debt), or about $30,000 for each man, woman, and child in the U.S., I consider this change to be one of the most important things the new Congress has done.

5. Increased student financial aid. Pell Grants have been stuck at the same level the past six years, in spite of skyrocketing tuition at most universities. The House and Senate have passed the Higher Education Access Act, that would not only increase Pell Grants, but provides one of the biggest increases in student financial aid since the GI Bill. The House and Senate are working out their differences in a conference committee, so this has not been sent to the President for his signature yet. It may face a veto since it pays for this by cutting payments to college loan lenders.

6. Implemented the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. This bill has been sent to the President.

7. Expanded health insurance for uninsured children. The House and Senate have passed differing bills to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which in Arizona is known as KidsCare. Since its creation, KidsCare has reduced the percentage of Arizona kids without health insurance from 25% to 15%.

8. Iraq and Immigration. These are the two areas where Congress has not accomplished even minor change, and these are two of the biggest issues in America. I will skip immigration and leave a final note on Iraq. Congress did send President Bush a bill with a timeline requiring U.S. troops to leave Iraq, but it was vetoed. Now the question is whether Congress will play political brinksmanship and say to Bush "we won't fund the war anymore unless we have a concrete plan for withdrawal." So far, that hasn't happened. When the American people will demand that of Congress, we shall see.