HOUSE GAVEL CHANGES HANDS AS GOP TAKES CONTROL

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By Jeremy Los and Miriam Raftery

January 6, 2011 (Washington D.C.) – The red Republican wave that swept through the nation in November has officially begun its reign in the United States House of Representatives yesterday as the 112th Congress commenced. The change elevates the positions and influence of local Republican representatives, while reducing the power of San Diego’s Democratic delegation in Congress.

Highlighted by the election of Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, as Speaker of the House, yesterday today marked the beginning of what House Republicans see as a chance to move the conservative agenda forward. The Republican leadership has announced its intent to repeal President Obama’s health care bill and begin to cut government spending in their first three weeks. Democrats in Congress now are on the defensive as they are now hoping to impede the destruction of what they pushed for since 2006.

 

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated, “We (Democrats) extend the hand of friendship. But where we cannot find a common ground, we must stand our ground.”

 

In the Senate, where Democrats retain a majority, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has pledged to block “extreme ideas” and specifically to obstruct Republican efforts to repeal healthcare reforms. He pledged to work with the President to help middle-class families, create jobs, hasten energy independence, improve education and fix a broken immigration system.

 

San Diego County's local Republican Representatives have pledged steadfast support in promoting the Republican Party agendas as well as pushing their own issues.

 

Republican Representative Darrell Issa, who takes over as Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, looks to launch a probe into what he has called “the most corrupt administrations,” the Obama administration.

 

Issa will be looking to spearhead a number of major investigations during the crucial initial stages of this congress. He has announced that he will be looking into corruption in Afghanistan, business regulations, and the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the foreclosure crisis among other things. With his new found power he will be able to subpoena government officials for questioning in front of his committee.

 

“Darrel Issa, as Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is about to neuter the Obama administration and his leftist agenda,” stated conservative talk show host Rick Amato, in his newsletter.

 

But a POLITICO report just released reveals that Issa has taken huge campaign contributions from industries that would benefit from Issa’s efforts to remove regulations. Issa took over $300,000 from telecommunications, $275,000 from pharamaceutical and health care interests, nearly $200,000 from energy interest, as well as large sums from oil companies, manufacturers, automotive interests and other corporate powerbrokers.
 

A statement on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee website claims that “Issa has asked leading companies from the telecommunications, energy, oil and gas, manufacturers, transportation, and pharmaceutical and health care industries which government regulations they would want removed.”
 

Jesse Ferguson, DCCCC, observed, "It’s now clear that Representative Issa’s never ending investigations have nothing to do with the truth and everything to do with helping his partisan politics. Representative Issa's investigations to protect his corporate special interest friends erodes what little credibility he had left with his wasteful investigations. The only jobs Issa’s investigations create are for lawyers on his committee and accountants at his political action committees."

 

52nd District Republican Representative Duncan Hunter will continue to push the military agenda as he continues to sit on the House Armed Services Committee. He has stated that he will guard against spending cuts that harm the war effort in the Middle East.

 

As a staunch advocate for immigration reform, Republican Representative Brian Bilbray will continue to focus on immigration. Bilbray hopes that with Republican leadership, “E-Verify” will become mandatory, the program is currently voluntary and allows employers to ensure employees are eligible to work in the United States.

 

Along with his push for immigration reform, Congressman Bilbray has now been appointed to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. At the committee he will be responsible for oversight on all programs that fall under the committee. He will also have jurisdiction over the Department of Energy.

 

“I welcome the opportunity to work with my colleagues to ensure that our energy policy is based on science and capitalizes on America’s greatest strength, our entrepreneurs and innovators,” stated Bilbray.

 

While San Diego Republicans gained power, Democratic Congressman Bob Filner relinquished his powerful chairmanship of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. As Chair, Filner authored major legislation signed into law to expand benefits for military veterans and their families.

 

San Diego Democratic Representative Susan Davis, in an editorial published in the Union-Tribune December 17th, noted that the health care reforms have helped many of her constituents, including parents of a child previously denied health insurance due to a pre-existing condition.

“In addition to taking away consumer protections and health coverage for Americans, repeal would also hurt the economy with significant financial consequences – including in San Diego,” she wrote, noting that local firms benefit from the Therapeutic Discovery Tax Credit included in the new law, receiving tax credits and grants to research new lifesaving drugs.
 

“Even health industry insiders are wary about repeal,” Davis noted, “Richard Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, was quoted on NPR, “No one has said what this bill would be replaced with. But doing away with this would certainly be the wrong thing.” Davis said repealing parts of the law or cutting funding would be “like pulling at a string on a sweater. It will unravel, causing millions of American to lose their newly acquired access to health care, weaken or end new consumer protections and create economic uncertainty in our region.” She called on Republicans to instead work with Democrats to make the new law work best for the nation.
 

It is clear that although the power has shifted, the partisan political divide remains. Whether either party will achieve its objectives remains doubtful, while the prospect of two years of gridlock and divisive politics looms large.


 


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