75-07-B2
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The New Congress[edit]
Transcript[edit]Congress is our guarantee that we have a representative government. Do we? I'll be right back. The new Congressional year began with an even greater sense of the unexpected and the never before than might have been predicted. The seniority system was shattered and seasoned committee chairman deposed. Watching the rumblings on Capitol Hill one comes away convinced that the 94th Congress is not only new, it's explosively anti-administration, anti-business and overwhelmingly liberal. All this at a time when most Americans describe themselves not as liberal but as conservative. This new Congress is determined to be the most equal of our three equal branches of government. Nearly a quarter of its members had never been in government before it convened and nearly a quarter are in their thirties. In the House, the Democrats have 290 members, exactly double the number of the Republicans. In practical terms this gives them overwhelming control, a fact already reflected in the Congressional committee structure. Formerly a House committee of 43 members was divided twenty-four to nineteen, a five vote margin for the majority. Not really big enough to ram things through hastily. Compromise was a realistic option. But today the committees are divided twenty-nine to fourteen, a fifteen vote spread far too large to bring about compromise in the traditional concept of checks and balances. In the Senate the situation is roughly the same with 61 Democrats and 38 Republicans. Philosophically the split is even greater. The conservatives consist of some 25 or 26 of the Republicans and about 10 of the Democrats. Now that the filibuster rule has been emasculated, the conservatives have little chance to influence or blunt the legislative thrust of the large liberal bloc. Liberal interest groups made their punch felt in the last election. For example the AFL-CIO's Committee On Political Education, C.O.P.E., had a 70 success record in its endorsements. The well-oiled machinery of various liberal organizations combined with voter backlash to political scandal gave the American people a Congress I don't believe they envisioned. If the national polls are correct, showing a majority of Americans is considering themselves conservative and favoring the continuation of the free enterprise system then the American public has never been so misrepresented by its Congress. For this Congress is decidedly liberal and the small fires that had first threatened free enterprise are growing daily into full-scale four-alarm blazes under the guise of taming Executive Branch excesses. Congress has weakened its rival. We have yet to feel all the shockwaves from this and Congress has really only begun to flex its muscles. This Congress isn't just a dressed up version of an old model, it's a brand new design. We're going to see a flood of spectacular, ill-conceived, expensive and extreme legislation which can't be derailed or even tempered by the voices of moderation. If you're among those who see themselves as conservative or middle of the road, keep an eye on your elected representatives. Their representation may surprise you. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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