Relaxed Congress Under Fire
CBS
Transcript
like most Americans members of Congress had today off in fact they've been off since last Friday after setting an ambitious agenda this year Congress managed to pass an economic stimulus Bill and tougher fuel efficiency standards for cars but the list of what has not been done is a lot longer charl Atkinson follows the money to Capitol Hill Congress said they felt our pain they said they wouldn't be able to choke down their July 4th hot dogs unless they passed a bill to help with the mortgage crisis it may knock a few people out of parades on July 4th however long it takes us to do this they promised they'd stay then promptly left with unfinished business it was just another blow to Americans hit by the mortgage crisis tens of thousands of them spending the holiday barely hanging on to their homes Congress hasn't done any better on the energy crisis more than a year ago house Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to lead the nation toward energy Independence back then gas prices had just hit a new record they're a dollar a gallon higher today and there's still no bill even under debate on Capitol Hill to address the crisis congress's to-do list grows longer by the day there's one viable housing Bill stalled in the Senate it would help 400,000 people refinance their homes with affordable government-backed loans Congress has so far failed to extend popular energy tax credits without them businesses and residents lose incentive to use renewable energy like wind and solar in all a dozen other major bills are waiting for attention a tax bill that continues credit or deductions for research and development state and local sales taxes tuition children and charitable contributions a bill to eliminate new pay cuts for doctors who treat Medicare patients important measures giving direction to the FAA in the defense department and a revamp of the consumer product safety commission which oversees toy safety also on congress's plate 12 massive spending bills and dozens of judicial nominees analysts say both sides are to blame for using political tactics that block even hugely popular measures and time is running short historian Douglas Brinkley says whatever didn't get done before the 4th of July doesn't stand much of a chance afterwards in a presidential election year so really you could say congress is now defunct out of business until February March of 2009 this Fourth of July means 150 million hot dogs eaten 8,000 foreclosures a day and gas at more than $49 a gallon for many Independence Day means having to get by without depending on Congress Cheryl aison CBS News Washington