Democrats Say They'll Assume Watchdog Role

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/politics/14cong.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1103029614-Ez0ahDJ1mAJzGdmb4npMlg

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 - Complaining that Republicans have failed to oversee how billions of dollars of taxpayer money is being spent, Senate Democrats said Monday that they would begin holding oversight hearings of their own, even though they are in the minority and have no subpoena power to compel the testimony of government officials.

"The Congressional watchdog remains fast asleep, and we intend to wake it up," Senator Byron L. Dorgan of North Dakota, who is chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, said at a news briefing.

Mr. Dorgan was joined, via videoconference, by Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the new Democratic leader, who has repeatedly said that he would "rather dance than fight" with Republicans. Mr. Reid said that the hearings, to be run by the policy committee, would be "set up as fairly as possible," with Democrats offering Republicans a chance to participate and call witnesses.

"We're going to try to be as fair as they have not been to us," Mr. Reid said. Mr. Dorgan added, "And if the Republicans decide to hold their own oversight hearings, there will be no need for this project."

The announcement, which came on a sleepy afternoon in an otherwise deserted Capitol, amounted to a throwing down of the gauntlet by Democrats, who are struggling to find a voice in Washington with Republicans in control of the White House and both houses of Congress.

When the new Congress convenes in January, Republicans will have an expanded majority of 55 senators, leaving Democrats with little way to get their message across.

Few Republicans were on hand to respond to the Democrats' announcement on Monday afternoon. A spokesman for the Senate Republican Conference declined to comment, saying that officials had not yet been briefed on the Democrats' plans. Mr. Dorgan said the hearings would begin in late January and continue at least monthly, on matters as diverse as the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind Act, contracts for business in Iraq, and abuses at American-run prisons and detention facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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:wtf: Where have they been the last four years! Is the media actually going to cover any of this. They haven't yet

nt

Tom Daschle was obviously asleep at the switch.

Do the congressional Dems figure on gumming them to death?

I'm willing to give him a chance, but I expect an opposition leader to lead the fight in opposition not accomodation.

Science investigations all along (post on the web aslo. They get press for a few days and mainly the WH jaugernaut just keeps rolling on engaging in their 'selective" science.
My hope is that ALL Dems get on board with this announcement and the efffect will be to really cause some NOICE.

Good for them (better later and never).

can't do anything without the Republicans' permission. They can't even get a hearing room with LAN drops unless the majority signs off on it. I used to handle the paperwork for the LAN drops, so I know.

i would suggest that congressional democrats get off their asses and fight back. otherwise, they'll be in an even greater minority when people -- like myself -- stay home for the 2006 mid-terms.

We will see. "where there is a will there is a way" as the old saying goes. they have an opportunity to open the door on many things gone wrong in this Administration and I, for one, applaud them.