Dakota Beacon

Anyone monitoring the Congressional sausage factory? Probably not. Probably no more so than monitoring the national debt. Who can fathom these leviathans? One may as well ignore them because the majority in the House and Senate who we the people elected certainly ignore them.

Otherwise, in case you are a wee bit curious, there are two – count them – two infrastructure bills moving through Congress. Strange. Why two? Well, first let’s talk about what’s in them. That might shed light as to why two bills.

The first bill is the $1.2 trillion “bipartisan” package. “Bipartisan.” You know. That’s the sacred icon before which all politicians in good standing genuflect with a straight face believing it ingratiates them to voters back home -- with a little help from the press. “Bipartisanship.” It’s just “fair.”

In particular this measure includes what you generally think of as “hard” infrastructure. It provides for such things as upgrading the power grid and the power infrastructure; broadband internet service; roads, bridges, and similar projects; and passenger and freight rail improvements. The list of specific line items goes on. Aside from the price tag, the items seem straightforward enough although one could take issue.

The second bill is $3.5 trillion humdinger. The price tag is so large that even some Democrat senators blanch, if that is possible. Given Democrat control of both houses, surely it would pass in the House. But, getting by the Senate is another story. Legislation in the Senate requires 60 votes and for this measure that is nigh unto impossible. Why? What’s in the bill that would cost so much?

Who knows? The Senate Democrats keep the wraps on this one. No one has shared specifics. Senate leader Schumer offers platitudinous hints about expanding Medicare to include vision, dental, and hearing services. It might likely implement the Green New Deal by creating the Civilian Climate Corps – a new federal agency to suck up even more federal dollars. Quoting UPI (7/14/21), “It is unclear exactly what is included in the agreement, but Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-VT) hinted that it will include tax increases on the nation's richest people and corporations. ‘This is, in our view, a pivotal moment in American history,’ Sanders, the budget committee chairman, said. ‘The wealthy and large corporations are going to start paying their fair share of taxes, so that we can protect the working families of this country.’” Blah, blah, blah.

It is believed the bill might also contain many of Biden’s 2020 controversial leftist campaign promises including free community college, paid family leave, expanding the child tax credit, helping families with child care costs, establishing a budget resolution to achieve 80% clean electricity, cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, and support universal requirement for pre-kindergarten education. We just don’t know what is in it because Democrats are not saying anything. Transparency, anyone?

We’ve seen this movie before. As Speaker Pelosi once said, “Congress has to pass the bill to see what’s in it” – as in Obamacare.

So, what is a savvy Senate Majority Leader like Chuck Schumer to do? Why, invoke the reconciliation process, of course. Biden used the reconciliation process previously to pass his $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package.

The reconciliation process involves compliance with tortuous Senate rules. Suffice it to say both House and Senate use reconciliation to navigate decisions on spending, taxes, and budget deficits. It's especially powerful in the Senate because it allows a simple majority of 51 votes (rather than 60) to pass the legislation. Treated expeditiously, the bill also avoids filibuster. For example, Senate Republicans needed only 51 votes to repeal Obamacare using reconciliation, just as Senate Democrats needed only 51 votes to pass it.

Even going with reconciliation there is no guarantee of passage. The Senate is split 50-50. Senate leader Chuck Schumer hopes to have all 50 Democrats support the bill. Vice President Harris would then break the tie and the bill would pass. But, even one Democrat defector could spell defeat. A few come to mind: Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) balk at the price tag.

Get this. President Biden indicated that if he could not get both bills on his desk, he would veto the one that did reach him. According to the Talking Point Memo (6/24/21), “President Biden won’t sign the bipartisan infrastructure legislation until Congress has also passed a reconciliation package, he told reporters on Thursday. ‘If this is the only thing that comes to me, I’m not signing it,’ Biden said. ‘It’s in tandem.’ Biden tied the two pieces of legislation together in his remarks, presenting the bipartisan bill and an accompanying reconciliation package as one achievement, to be passed and signed together.”

This sounds like a temper tantrum if somebody doesn’t get their way. It may even be someone regressing to a second childhood. Are there any adults left in the room?

Such pork. Such unbelievable pork. Pork as far as the eye can see. How can Bernie Sanders and The Squad support such pork?

Sharpen up, folks. Rebuilding America is double-speak for reshaping America from what it used to be into something quite, well – alien. If you get my drift.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)