(Cartoon image is by Dave Granlund at davegranlund.com.)Donald Trump has said several times that the impeachment effort by House Democrats is keeping important legislation from be ing passed. That is a ridiculous lie! It is just another Trump lie to try and damage the impeachment effort.
While Trump may not be able to do so, House Democrats can chew gum and walk at the same time. Those House Democrats have been very busy trying to legislate for the good of the country. They have passed over 400 bills -- most on important issues (like background checks on gun sales, election security, minimum wage raise, lower drug prices, etc.) that need to be addressed.
Unfortunately, nearly all of those bills die when they get to the Seante. That's because Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (who dubbed himself the "Grim Reaper" of Democratic bills) refuses to let the House bills be debated or voted on.
The Senate has passed only 70 bills -- most of them on naming, or changing the names, of post offices, VA facilities, and other government buildings. McConnell's conduct is shameful. Some of the bills he's blocking were passed in the House on a bipartisan basis. And others could be debated and amended if he allowed it.
This is the epitome of a "do nothing" Congress. But it starts and ends with "Moscow" Mitch McConnell. Democrats are trying to legislate, and some Republicans in the Senate would like to debate, amend, and vote on the bills the House has sent.
It is time for McConnell to go. If he cannot be defeated in Kentucky in the 2020 election, then enough Democrats must be elected to the Senate to boot him out of the job of Majority Leader.
Here, from Vox.com, are some of the major bills and resolutions that McConnell refuses to allow the Senate to consider:
Health care
- House Resolution 259 — Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019
- H.R. 271 — Condemning the Trump Administration’s Legal Campaign to Take Away Americans’ Health Care
- H.R. 986 — Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019
- H.R. 987 — Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act
- H.R. 1520, the Purple Book Continuity Act (bill aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs)
- H.R. 1503, the Orange Book Transparency Act of 2019 (bill aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs)
Civil rights
- H.R. 1 — For the People Act of 2019
- H.R. 5 — Equality Act
- H.R. 6 — American Dream and Promise Act
- H.R. 7 — Paycheck Fairness Act
- H.R. 124 — Expressing opposition to banning service in the Armed Forces by openly transgender individuals
Gun control
- H.R. 8 — Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019
- H.R. 1112 — Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019
Environment
- H.R. 9 — Climate Action Now Act
- H.R. 1331 — Local Water Protection Act
- S. 47 — National Resources Management Act
- H.R. 2578 — National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2019
- H.R. 205, 1146, 1941 — Banning Offshore Drilling on Atlantic, Pacific, Eastern Gulf and ANWR Coasts
Military/foreign affairs
- H.R. 840 — Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act
- H.J. Res. 37 — Directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress
- S.J. Res. 7 — To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress
- H.R. 31 — Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019
- H.J. Res. 30 — Disapproving the President’s proposal to take an action relating to the application of certain sanctions with respect to the Russian Federation
- H.R. 4695 — Protect Against Conflict by Turkey Act
- H.R. 676 — NATO Support Act
- H.R. 549 — Venezuela TPS Act
Mueller report
- H. Con. Res. 24 — Expressing the sense of Congress that the report of Special Counsel Mueller should be made available to the public and to Congress
Other major legislation
- H.R. 1585 — Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019
- H.R. 987 — Raise the Wage Act
- H.R. 1500 — Consumers First Act
- H.R. 1994 — SECURE Act/Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act
- H.R. 2722 — Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act
- H.R. 4617 — Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act
- H.R. 1644 — Save the Internet Act of 2019
- H.R. 2157 — Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019
- H.R. 397 — Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act (The Butch Lewis Act)
- H.R. 2513 — The Corporate Transparency Act
- H.R. 269 — Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019
- H.R. 251 — Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program Extension Act
- S.24 — Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019
- H.R. 430 — TANF Extension Act of 2019
- Concurring in the Senate Amendments to HR 251 — Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard Program Extension Act
- H.R. 790 — Federal Civilian Workforce Pay Raise Fairness Act of 2019
- HJ Res. 46 — Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019
- H Res. 183 — Condemning anti-Semitism as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values and aspirations that define the people of the United States and condemning anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against minorities as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contrary to the values and aspirations of the United States, as amended
- H Res. 194 — Rule Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1644 and H.R. 2021
- H.R. 2480 — Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
- H.R. 375 — To amend the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes (also known as the “Carcieri Fix”)
