Congress to go home; treats veterans like Bob Cratchit

The overworked exhausted members of congress will soon start their Holiday Vacation having completed only 2 of 11 appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2007 WHICH STARTED MORE THEN TWO MONTHS AGO.

Congress will enact a continuing resolution (CR) to fund programs through 15 February 2007. The current CR expires today. A stopgap CR rather then the regular appropriation bill WOULD DELAY A PLANNED INCREASE IN VETERAN'S HEALTHCARE SPENDING AND LIKELY RESULT IN LONGER WAITING TIMES FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES. House and Senate appropriators are working on a compromise that would add money for veterans programs, THOUGH LESS THEN THE APPROPRIATONS BILL WOULD PROVIDE.

1st paragraph - my editorializing
2nd paragraph source: Fleet Reserve Association Newsbyte email.

Republicans to Sick Veterans: Have a Happy Holiday! We spent so much time bitching about Democrats that we didn't have time to get to your appropriations. Sorry

Maybe something on vets issues can actually get done.
This is a funny read on the republicans and how they try to spin the new congress as anti family.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/05/AR2006120501342_pf.html


Culture Shock on Capitol Hill: House to Work 5 Days a Week


Forget the minimum wage. Or outsourcing jobs overseas. The labor issue most on the minds of members of Congress yesterday was their own: They will have to work five days a week starting in January.

The horror.

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, the Maryland Democrat who will become House majority leader and is writing the schedule for the next Congress, said members should expect longer hours than the brief week they have grown accustomed to.

"I have bad news for you," Hoyer told reporters. "Those trips you had planned in January, forget 'em. We will be working almost every day in January, starting with the 4th."

The reporters groaned. "I know, it's awful, isn't it?" Hoyer empathized.

I'm with you on this one but not optimistic. Bush and company have us so far in debt now that the public won't stand for any tax increases or spending increases for Vets...

Let's wait and see if the Dems make any effort to "Support our Troops"...

Sounded good while they were running...let's see...