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December 19, 2005

12:50 AM - HR 1815

The blogsphere has been all abuzz this evening over Mr. Bush's latest speech, despite the fact that it produced nothing truly novel either in terms of form or content. Come the wee hours of the night, though, a vastly more substantive discussion was afoot as the U.S. House of Representatives met for an after midnight session regarding all manner of last minute authorization bills. Generally and with few exceptions (e.g. Rep. Kucinich) Congresspersons on both sides of the floor patted themselves on the back for getting through a bill which strongly funds the DoD in general and the Iraqi efforts in particular, while requiring certain safeguards respecting the use of coercive interrogation techniques. After the bouts of self-congradulatory auto-adulation came the more critical and interesting bits. Rep. John Spratt warned against an Christmas Xmas Holiday Tree effect by which various riders could have been (and sometimes were) added to bills such as this which are considered imperative "must pass" funding mechanisms. Reps. Barney Frank and James Oberstar both blasted ostensible violations of States' rights incorporated into the bill, the former noting the onerous pro-discrimination effect of language interlarded into the defense bill for the sake of the BSA, and the latter strongly criticizing the federal government's administrative overregulation of a regional airport in Illinois. They seemed to enjoy the irony of criticizing Republicans for ignoring their avowed Federalist principles in these minor matters. There were a few other criticisms, mostly regarding process and timeline, but to give the men and women in harms way what they need to carry out their duty. : U.S. House, Department of Defense

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