The GOP has, shall we say, a different take on what is imperative for jobs and the economy. For instance Darrell Issa, who spends every waking moment either holding hearings, planning to hold hearings, or looking for the next thing he can hold a hearing on, has introduced a bill according to Politico. Drum roll please…
“Issa introduced legislation Wednesday to rename the United States’ exclusive economic zone — the area off the American coast where the U.S. has the right to use natural resources, create artificial islands and preserve the environment — the Ronald Wilson Reagan Exclusive Economic Zone…Issa has introduced the legislation, which was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, twice in the past. Both times the bill died without receiving a vote in committee.”
That’s right, he wants to name a whole bunch of water after Ronald Reagan; and evidently he’s going to keep trying until Congress gives in, because hey, he’s running out of hearing-type-stuff.
Wonder what else the GOP Saviours of 2010 have been doing in their tireless quest to create jobs? Luckily, their legislative activities have been compiled in a chronological “cliff notes” over at Republican Job Creation (The title is facetious). The site manages to bring some humour to the Republicans’ total dereliction of duty. Here are a just a few days from their list:
1-27-2012: The House held hearings on Wednesday trying to cut retirement benefits for federal employees. They also redefined what an “aircraft” is. They then took Thursday off. No jobs were created.
3-5-2012: On Thursday, the 1st of March, the House unanimously voted to allow itself to give oral histories of the civil rights era, then condemned Iran for finding one of its citizens guilty of apostasy. The House then took Friday off. No jobs were created.
4-18-2012: The House voted down the Buffet Rule, awarded Lena Horne a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal, then argued the rest of the day about rules to “enhance” hunting, fishing, and shooting. No jobs were created.
5-21-2012: On Friday the House passed a bloated defense spending bill, even though they were obligated to cut defense spending as part of the Super Committee agreement. Not only did the new bill include discriminitory language it also included an amendment allowing the government to institute propaganda against the American people. The president has vowed to veto this bill. No jobs were created unless you count the military contractors rolling in effluent streams of your tax dollars.
6-11-2012: On Friday the House voted to cut funding for Open World Leadership Center, the Congressional Research Service, and the Washington Botanic Garden. But, on the bright side, they voted themselves funds to print some snazzy new pocket-sized editions of the U.S. Constitution to hand out to constituents. As always, no jobs were created.
7-11-2012: The House spent the entire day Tuesday debating the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. This is the 33rd time in 18 months that they’ve tried this. According to the Congressional Research Service these votes have cost the tax-payers $50 million dollars. For the record, the House has voted on exactly one jobs bill in the same time period. No jobs were even remotely created.
Meanwhile, lest you think Republicans can’t be equally as humorous, they have their own page titled “Plan for America’s Job Creators“; a compilation of all of the pro-business/anti-everything-else legislation they have wasted their time on for almost two years, and where they still claim:
“House Republicans are committed to taking every possible step to spur job creation and get our economy back on track so that Americans can do what they do best: create, innovate and lead.”
Unfortunately, right now they’re busy on that Reagan/water thing; after which, I understand they’ll be taking up naming all of Washington’s sewer water after George W. Bush.
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