Tim Fernholz imagines a world without a filibuster: What a year for Congress! In February, it passed an $820 billion fiscal stimulus with more infrastructure investment than tax cuts. By April, it approved the president's landmark progressive budget. In June, an unprecedented energy bill complete with carbon cap-and-trade provisions passed. Then, in September, it agreed to a bill to eliminate subsidies to private education lenders in favor of direct federal loans for college, with much of the savings directed to Pell Grants for low-income students. Next, it passed a major health-care reform bill in November, complete with a public insurance option. By December, an omnibus financial regulatory reform bill had cleared. I know what you're thinking. It's all a lie. Congress hasn't achieved even half the accomplishments on that list -- but the House of Representatives has. The Senate did manage to pass the stimulus bill, but one that was much smaller and poorly constructed in comparison to the House version. Now, it is on the verge of passing a health-reform bill that lacks a public insurance option, much to the dismay of progressives. While the workaday legislation of appropriations and authorizations has made it through the upper chamber (though not without delays), the bulk of the Democrats' reform agenda has found itself stranded in limbo on the Capitol steps. KEEP READING ...
