The AC Phoenix
February 2008
Page 3
Presidential Politics Will Likely
Frame Congressional Debate
By: Marc H. Morial
-Guest Columnist—
The race for president is likely to heavily influence activities on
Capitol Hill in 2008 and the 110th Congress. From the president’s
annual State of the Union Address and submission of the fiscal
2009 federal budget to formulation of a congressional budget reso
lution and allocation of funds to federal agencies, it all v/ill take
place in anticipation of an electoral and largely partisan storm front.
This year’s session is “do or die” time for major bills introduced last
year.
Big-picture policy issues and unfinished business from last year
will likely dominate the political landscape, leaving little room for
innovative or breakthrough domestic and foreign policy.
Storm clouds hovering over this year’s session include, first and
foremost, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The costs associated with
them and what course to take will be major issues in the presiden
tial race and key influences on funding decisions.
A new Joint Economic Committee report puts the total cost at
$3.5 trillion if the nation stays the course. The home foreclosure
crisis also threatens to keep the economy under a cloud.
According to the latest Realty Trac data, one foreclosure filing
occurred for every 196 U.S. households in the third quarter of 2007.
The impact of the crisis has spurred introduction of and action on
many legislative initiatives, including ones involving anti-predatory
lending strategies. Legislation to address an acute lack of afford
able housing for the poor also faces an uncertain fate this year.
The House-passed National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act
of 2007 would assist in the construction, rehabilitation and preser
vation of 1.5 million affordable housing units over the next decade,
but it awaits Senate action.
A big question mark is whether presidential politics will spur
national discussion of how to put 36 million Americans living in
poverty on the road to financial independence. Nearly one-fourth
of Blacks and over one-third of Black children live in poverty. And
employment does not guarantee escape. In 2006, 7.5 percent of
working families were living below the poverty threshold. Those
with a minority parent were three to four times as likely to be poor
as those with a White parent.
Addressing poverty requires a multifaceted approach, but raising
the minimum wage is a place to start. Last year saw the first
increase in the minimum wage in 10 years, from $5.15 to $7.25 an
hour. It is the National Urban League’s hope that legislation index
ing the minimum wage to the inflation rate will be introduced so that
poor and working families no longer have to depend on the whims
of Congress.
Despite the fact that 47 million American lack health insurance.
Congress is unlikely to act on universal healthcare proposals, but
the presidential race is likely to raise the issue’s visibility, setting the
stage for debate in 2009.
With 14 vacancies remaining on federal appeals courts nation
wide, little time remains to fill them. The Senate confirmed five
appeals court nominees in 2007, but the judicial nomination
process is likely to grind to a halt until a new president is elected.
On the education front, after a number of congressional commit
tee hearing, efforts to reauthorize the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act
are likely to come face-to-face with presidential politics this year.
While the law expired last September, it provided for an automatic
one-year extension. No legislation has been introduced in either
chamber, but negotiations continue. Bills are expected to be intro
duced in 2008, but it is unclear if Congress will be able to complete
action in an election year.
Progress was made toward reauthorizing the Higher Education
Act (HEA), the law that provides for expanded access of low-and
middle income students to higher education. Key issues include;
controlling college costs; simplifying the student aid process;
improving teacher training; increasing the Pell grant; and expand
ing college preparation programs for low-income students, among
others.
Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which is the nation’s frontline
employment and training vehicle for youth and dislocated work
ers, desperately needs more congressional champions. Without
a re-authorization, funding for employment and training services
become increasingly vulnerable to the budget ax.
For thousands of low-income Gulf Coast resident who are
still—after more than two years—trying to find their way home
after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the sun won’t shine until
Congress completes work on hurricane housing recovery legisla-
An Associate Consultant’s Newspaper
Established 1982
Rodney J. Sumler, Publisher
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