When it comes to partisanship, Republicans just keep outdoing themselves.
On an island
By
John Smart
Congressional Delegate (non-voting) Donna M. Christensen, from the U.S. Virgin Islands, proposed a bill in the House of Representatives that would designate Castle Nugent Farm, on the island of St. Croix, a national historic site. The proposal required a two-thirds vote under a “suspension of the rules” order, and was defeated when every single Republican present in the chamber voted against it.
The Republicans’ stated reason for voting Christensen’s bill down was that it was "too expensive" and "a threat to private property rights." Congresswoman Christensen responded that it involved “no direct spending or land acquisition that would be subject to appropriations.”
This was on January 20 and was part of the House minority party's lead-up to President Barack Obama's State of the Union message to Congress and the nation. Christensen said, "The Republicans were trying to make a point in advance of the president's State of the Union Address and tried to make our bill a poster child for too much spending." They wanted to make it clear that they would not vote for anything that sounded like an expenditure since that would interfere with their false assertion that the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress are piling up extreme debt for our future generations.
Castle Nugent is a 2,900-acre farm that has been in operation since the 1730s. It includes a classic Caribbean Dry Forest, an extensive coral reef, and a substantial black mangrove swamp. It would also preserve the archeological remains of the indigenous Taino inhabitants, and a colonial Danish estate house which is already on the national registry of historic sites. The National Park Service has said Castle Nugent meets all of its criteria for national significance. And there would be very little cost involved, as the land is already owned by the government and the University of the Virgin Islands.
Congresswoman Christensen said, “We believe that it is important to save this important piece of St. Croix from the kind of development that would limit its use by residents” and visitors. Democrats expect to reintroduce the bill under rules that would allow a simple majority to pass it.
But what kind of tactic are the Republicans employing? They reject the label "The Party of No," but then they act like this. What else would anyone call it? Why deny the people of the Virgin Islands - and others visiting these beautiful islands - a fine national distinction? Isn't this carrying politics too far?
Obama gave the Republicans their comeuppance when he spoke at the House Republican caucus retreat in Baltimore on January 29. He zeroed in on the Republicans’ lock-step partisanship and listed the many initiatives in which he incorporated Republican feedback into his decisions. They had virtually no response. I'll bet they wish they hadn't agreed with White House insistence upon televising their Q & A session live.
February 2, 2010
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John Smart lives in Park Falls, is a member of the Wisconsin Governor's Commission on the United Nations, the board of the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools and a frequent guest on Wisconsin Public Radio's Ideas Network.
