08-03-2002
CONGRESS: The Scorecard, So Far, for the 107th Congress
As the 107th Congress prepares for its homestretch this fall-perhaps
including a lame-duck session after the November 5 election to wrap up
unfinished business-members can look back on a volatile legislative cycle
that has featured four distinct phases.
Following his inauguration in January 2001, President Bush took advantage
of the customary presidential honeymoon period-and his party's control of
both chambers of Congress-to win quick passage of his tax-cut proposal.
But just as Congress was completing work on that bill, Sen. James M.
Jeffords of Vermont announced that he was leaving the Republican Party to
become an independent, thus turning Senate control over to the Democrats.
Senate Democrats seized on the opportunity and began churning out their
initiatives, such as patients' rights legislation. Then the September 11
terrorist attacks again changed the political dynamics and encouraged a
broad bipartisanship on a range of emergency legislation. Finally, as the
national consensus began to fade early this year, the divided Congress
moved into a period marked by partisan deadlock on many major issues, and
complaints from the GOP-controlled House about Senate inaction.
The major bills that have been enacted include some, such as tax cuts and
education reform, that were urged by the president and largely reflected
his wishes. Others-such as campaign finance reform and the farm bill-had a
clear congressional imprint, while the national security-oriented measures
generally brought forth cooperation between the legislative and executive
branches. In the coming weeks, leaders of each party will decide whether
the nation's interests-and their own political imperatives-dictate that
they should attempt to finish action on additional legislation.
ENACTED
Tax cuts
President Bush signed on 6/7/01
Use-of-force resolution to respond to the terrorist attacks
Bush signed on 9/18/01
Airline-industry bailout
Bush signed on 9/22/01
Anti-terrorism powers for law enforcement officials
Bush signed on 10/26/01
Aviation security legislation
Bush signed on 11/19/01
Education reform
Bush signed on 1/8/02
Economic stimulus package
Bush signed on 3/9/02
Campaign finance reform
Bush signed on 3/27/02
Farm bill
Bush signed on 5/13/02
Border security legislation
Bush signed on 5/14/02
Bioterrorism legislation
Bush signed on 6/12/02
Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste repository
Bush signed on 7/23/02
Corporate accountability bill
Bush signed on 7/30/02
Annual appropriations bills, plus additional funding measures for homeland
security and the war on terrorism
Bush signed on various dates
Presidential trade-negotiating authority
Bush expected to sign soon
CONFERENCE AGREEMENT REACHED
Bankruptcy reform
Conference agreement filed on 7/26/02
PENDING IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Patients' rights legislation
House approved on 8/2/01;
Senate approved on 6/29/01
Election process reform
House approved on 12/12/01;
Senate approved on 4/11/02
Energy bill
House approved on 8/2/01;
Senate approved on 4/25/02
Terrorism insurance legislation
House approved on 11/29/01;
Senate approved on 6/18/02
APPROVED BY ONE CHAMBER
Faith-based initiative
House approved on 7/19/01
Human cloning ban
House approved on 7/31/01
Broadband Internet access legislation
House approved on 2/27/02
Pension plan overhaul
House approved on 4/11/02
Welfare reform
House approved on 5/16/02
Medicare prescription drug benefits
House approved on 6/27/02
"Partial-birth" abortion ban
House approved on 7/24/02
Homeland Security Department creation
House approved on 7/26/02
Generic drug/drug reimportation legislation
Senate approved on 7/31/02
National Journal
