Does Congress Need Efficiency Experts?

Congress left for its Thanksgiving recess recently, a time that is traditionally designated as a home work period to deal with their constituency. Regardless, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) has departed for a Latin American tour to address what he considers 'stagnant' policy by the Bush administration in the region. Senator Reid must be forgetting the U.S.-Columbia Free Trade Agreement soon to die in Congress that is heavily supported by the White House, which will help revitalize a rare success story in the region. While most focus is on their radical neighbor to the east, Columbian president Alvaro Uribe has immense popular support. Uribe has transformed a region ravaged by drugs and violence into a democracy turning the corner and would do so further with the help of the free trade agreement about to be killed by House Democrats. But while Harry Reid is taking his personal 'Spite the President 2008 Tour', what business has he and other members neglected by taking this time off?

Congress took its recess while leaving behind business that deals with federal income tax refunds, delaying refund checks totaling 75 billion dollars. This issue stems from a 'glitch' made by a former Congress over thirty years ago with the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). This was used to tax over one hundred people in the one million dollar income bracket who managed to avoid being taxed, but they failed to adjust the tax to inflation, forcing millions to pay more than they needed to with this mandatory minimum tax. In the Senate's effort to amend this situation, the debate over taxation and failure to act has delayed the IRS' procedures in shipping out these refunds until they resolve it after their lengthy Thanksgiving break.

Members of Congress did not only feel they earned their turkey with their efforts in the most recent legislative session, they treated themselves to some pork. A recent piece of legislation was passed that contained massive pork barrel spending for Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), who faces tough re-election prospects, to help cover fraudulent spending in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This was much to the dismay of Republicans working hard to get back to their fiscally conservative ways, but the measure prevailed, helping Landrieu possibly preserve her seat and a Democrat majority. Hopefully the efficiency experts will make a better call regarding who to keep and who to let go in 2008 than in 2006.

Mick Paskiewicz
Vice President, The DePaul Conservative Alliance

Maybe the Bobs from “Office Space” can help fix the glitch in the 110th Congress and the Senate.