There is a myth that far too many Americans believe: the US House and Senate hold debates on legislation that hangs in the balance. To support this myth, we have C-Span and C-Span II. You can turn on the TV to watch legislators yelling and screaming about this or that bill. Doesn't this prove that the art of debate is alive and well?
In a word, no. As with so much inside the beltway these days, it's all for show.
Almost all of the real debates these days go on behind closed doors.
In a word, no. As with so much inside the beltway these days, it's all for show.
House Republicans postponed a Wednesday vote on Rep. Dennis Kucinich's resolution to end U.S. involvement in the bombing of Libya because they were afraid it would pass. Speaker John Boehner thinks the legislation -- which would take effect 15 days after it's adopted -- would hurt the NATO mission to topple Muammar Qaddafi, Politico's John Bresnahan and Jonathan Allen report. Republican Dan Burton, a co-sponsor of the resolution, is urging an up-or-down vote on the resolution -- sort of like Tuesday's vote on raising the debt limit, which GOP leaders held a vote on only because they were sure it would fail. (Likewise, last week Senate Democrats forced moderate Republican senators to vote on Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare overhaul just to force moderate senators to vote on it. It failed, as expected...)You see, "debates" are held only when the vote is already known. This provides legislators on both sides of the question with the platform to score political points. Unfortunately, when the vote is up in the air, the last thing the majority party wants is to see a debate because the opposition may be able to thwart whatever it is that they want accomplished.
Almost all of the real debates these days go on behind closed doors.
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