The 111th Congress: maligned yet productive in 2009

Norman Ornstein has a nice piece over at The Washington Post discussing Congress's accomplishments over this past year (yes, accomplishments). It's easy to discredit the quantity and quality of legislation passed in the current awful political climate. However, Ornstein notes:

• The stimulus package
• Expansion of health insurance for children
• TARP funds oversight
• FDA regulation of tobacco
• Land conservation law
• A credit card holder's "bill of rights"
  
• Defense procurement reform
• The relatively speedy House has passed even more bills, including cap-and-trade and financial regulatory reform.
• Both chambers of Congress also passed significant health care reform bills.
  

I would add that Congress has done an effective, if inefficient, job of supporting unemployment programs with federal cash

Now, certainly people can take issue with the quality of this legislation, but the Congress has been active and impressive, especially given its ponderous nature in general and its functioning as the most partisan Congress ever. It's unfortunate that these accomplishments get lost in the hyperbolic discourse of political "debate" in this country, but it doesn't make the accomplishments any less impressive.

The Obama administration and the Dems have failed to sell their successes, both in the general and specific. This is a critical failure with regard to the public - both in its interest and their own.

Flawed unemployment extension legislation means potential "fix-it" bill, additional support

	HR 3548, the unemployment extension bill that was signed into law by President Obama this past Friday, is meant to provide 14 weeks of federal extended unemployment benefits to all 50 states, with an . . . more

President Obama to sign unemployment benefits extension bill HR 3548 into law today

	President Obama is scheduled today to put his signature to HR 3548, the unemployment extension bill that's been struggling to make its way out of Congress for over a month. Thousands of unemployed . . . more

Senate proposes extending homebuyer tax credit alongside unemployment extension

The good news is that you may be able to rely on a government subsidy to buy your next house. The bad news? You need a job to pay for it. Amidst the uproar over its lack of progress on passing legislation . . . more

Unemployment extension update: bill to hit Senate floor later this week

According to Capitol Hill Reports , "Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is planning to offer an amendment to the House-passed Unemployment Compensation Extension Act ( H.R. 3548 ) that would extend . . . more

Bad Policy?

Breaking down the Baucus health care bill, from James Kwak over at Baseline Scenario:

One reason the Baucus bill is "cheaper" than the House bill is that it has lower subsidies. For illustration, let's assume that the whole $140 billion difference is due to lower subsidies. Relative to the House bill, then, the Baucus bill costs the government $140 billion less; but it costs middle-income people exactly $140 billion more, since they have to buy health insurance. The difference is that in the House bill, the money comes from taxes on the very rich; in the Baucus bill, it comes out of the pockets of the middle-class people who are getting smaller subsidies. Put another way, the Baucus bill is the House bill, plus a $140 billion tax on people making around $40-80,000 per year. That' s not only stupid policy; it's stupid politics.

Via Planet Money.

Not Governing In Anger, Vol. 1

Glad to hear that the "Bonus Tax" bill - at best questionable and at worst very dangerous - is foundering.

Cooler heads.