Republican Do-Nothing Congress Vacations But Does Nothing For America's Families

As Republicans in this "Do-Nothing" Congress head home for the August recess after the shortest and least effective work period in at least 60 years, they should be prepared to explain their failed agenda and rubber-stamping ways. Just yesterday, Democrats successfully stopped Republican election year efforts to attach a fiscally irresponsible million-dollar tax giveaway for multi-millionaires to a minimum wage increase that would benefit nearly seven million Americans. The same day, Democrats strongly questioned Secretary Rumsfeld on growing sectarian violence, mounting casualties and troop preparedness in Iraq, while Republicans continued to rubber-stamp the Administration's commitment to a failed strategy in the region.

"This Republican-controlled Congress is now headed for vacation after the shortest and least effective work schedule in at least 60 years. Republicans will undoubtedly face some tough questions at home since their 'do-nothing' failed leadership has done absolutely nothing but rubber-stamp George Bush's failed agenda on everything from Iraq to the minimum wage to multi-million dollar giveaways to special interests," said DNC Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "Democrats want to move in a new direction so we can get things done for America, unlike the Republicans who continue to play partisan political games that put the special interests ahead of the American people."

109th Congress Sets Do-Nothing Record. "If the House sticks to its schedule, it will have worked 84 days this year when votes were scheduled, 26 fewer than the Congress that President Truman labeled 'do-nothing' during his 1948 campaign." [Washington Post, 7/30/06]

The "Do-Nothing" Congress Did Nothing to Help America's Families:

• They did not pass a raise in the minimum wage to help 6.6 American workers despite 10 years since the last increase [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 7/28/06]
• They did not provide any oversight of the Bush Administration’s commitment to a failed strategy in Iraq [The Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/16/06]
• They did not do anything to help Americans facing sky-high gas prices [Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update 7/24/06; Los Angeles Times, 7/11/06; EIA Spot Prices for Oil 7/18/05 and 7/18/06]
• They did not help expand life saving stem cell research by overriding the President's first veto [CNN, 6/20/06]
• They did not fix problems with the Medicare drug bill forcing an estimated 3.4 million seniors to have additional drug expenses [USA Today, 7/26/06]

The Republican-Led Congress Did:

• Fight repeatedly to repeal estate taxes by $1.4 million each for 8,200 Americans [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 7/28/06; MarketWatch, 7/27/06]
• Rubber-stamp President Bush's failures in Iraq [The Nation, 3/17/06]
• Increase their own paychecks by $31,000 over nine years since 1997 [USA Today, 6/25/06]
• Pass a massive give-away to big oil [USA Today, 7/28/05; S. Amdt. 3046, 109th Congress]
• Cut funds for student loans, as college tuition fees increase by 57 percent since Bush took office [CNN, 2/8/06]
• Cut Benefits for Insured Americans while Providing Give-Aways to Health Savings Associations [Families USA, 5/8/06]

Democrats offer a New Direction for America. Our Priorities Include:

• Real Security at Home and Overseas
• Better American Jobs. Better Pay
• College Access for All
• Energy Independence. Lower Gas Prices
• Affordable Health Care. Life Saving Science
• Retirement Security and Dignity