A8
Politics & The Nation
EZ SU
KLMNO
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010
FELIX ADAMO/TBC
Rep. KevinMcCarthy (R-Calif.), a second-term congressman, was tapped by theGOPleadership last spring to write the “Pledge to America.” The agenda will be officially unveiled Thursday in Sterling.
With ‘Pledge,’ GOP signals a new generation is in charge
gop from A1 The proposals, many of which
would face high hurdles to be- coming law, even if Republicans claimed the majority, include some provisions meant to appeal to conservative activists who have led the anti-establishment tea party movement. Those in- clude internal rule changes that would require all bills to be post- ed online three days before votes are taken and mandate that legis- lation cite the constitutional au- thority behind it. In a political climate that fa-
vors Republicans, some GOP strategists cautioned against re- leasing any agenda, reasoning that it would just give Democrats something to criticize. But House Minority Leader
SALE 29.99 GEOFFREY BEENE
MACY’SCARDDURINGOURHOTLISTSALE PLUS,TAKEANEXTRA20%OFFWITHYOUR
Exclusions apply; see below.
Reg. 49.50. Cotton dress shirts in solid colors, stripes or patterns. Also: ties. Reg. 49.50. Sale 26.99.
John A. Boehner’s leadership team thought they needed to show that Republicans are pre- pared to govern and adopted what they call an 80-20 approach, expecting 80 percent of the cam- paign to be a negative contrast withDemocratsand20percent to be focused on Republican ideas. Democrats rejected the new
agenda as a rehash of ideas that Republicans first implemented during the George W. Bush ad- ministration, a theme they have repeated throughout congressio- nal campaigns this year. “Congressional Republicans
are pledging to ship jobs over- seas; blow a $700 billion hole in the deficit to give tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires; turn Social Security from a guar- anteed benefit into a guaranteed gamble; once again, subject Americanfamilies to the reckless- ness of Wall Street,” Nadeam Elshami, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said in a statementWednesday. WhiteHouse Communications
Director Dan Pfeiffer said that, “instead of charting a newcourse, Congressional Republicans dou- bled down on the same ideas that hurt America’s middle class.” The 21-page documentis partly
an echo of the GOP’s 1994 “Con- tract With America,” a 10-point agenda unveiled in late Septem- ber of that year, just before Re- publicans seized the House ma- jority for the first time in four decades. But it is also an attempt to signal that a newgeneration of Republicans is ready to lead, hav- ing learned from the missteps that led to the party’s ouster in the 2006 elections. Party leaders tapped Rep. Kev-
in McCarthy (R-Calif.), a second- term lawmaker who did not serve in the previous GOP majority, to draft the document in the spring. Sensitive to many voters’ dis-
trust of anything that appears to come from Washington insiders, Republicans plan to formally re- lease the agenda at 10 a.m. Thurs-
What Republicans would pursue
House Republicans plan to release a “Pledge to America” on Thursday that outlines more than two dozen proposals they would pursue if they won a majority in the midterm elections. The highlights:
l A repeal of the health-care law signed by President Obama this year.
l A spending freeze for most domestic programs, exempting some programs for seniors, such as Social Security, and others that affect veterans and the military.
l Keeping in place for all Americans, including the wealthy, tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003. President Obama has proposed getting rid of tax cuts for household income above $250,000.
l A ban on any federal funding for abortions.
l A hiring freeze on all federal agencies except those charged with keeping Americans safe. (Agencies could hire employees only to replace people who leave.)
l A requirement that Congress post all bills online three days before a vote and that lawmakers cite the specific constitutional authority that enables the legislation.
l A ban on any efforts to hold trials on U.S. soil for detainees currently held at Guantanamo Bay.
l A stop on all unspent money authorized as part of last year’s stimulus bill or the 2008 legislation that aided failing Wall Street firms.
l A tax deduction for small businesses on up to 20 percent of their business income.
day at a small hardware store in Sterling, 10 miles beyond the Capital Beltway. Unlike in 1994, when more
than 100 Republican candidates appeared on the Capitol steps to sign the Contract With America, Thursday’s event will feature just 12 incumbent lawmakers. Of them, only Boehner (Ohio) and Rep. Frank R. Wolf (Va.), whose district includes the hardware store, were in Congress in Sep- tember 1994. While more than 180 GOP can-
didates signed the Contract, there will be no push to get this year’s Republican challengers to take the Pledge. Instead, party leaders are encouraging candidates to pick the ideas that best fit their district. “The importance of the docu-
ment is it sets up a very sharp contrast,” said Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), who was elected in 2006 along with McCarthy and helped write the new agenda. “This is an opportunity to highlight our al- ternatives.” The document met with deri-
sion from some conservatives, who pushed for more robust enti- tlement reforms to rein in gov- ernment spending. “It’s not taking us where we ulti- mately have to go as a country, dealing with entitlements and permanent tax changes,” said Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who had advocated a plan that dealt specifically with Social Security. “But I can’t fault the leadership, because it is political season and they are putting out the best possible thing.” Erick Erickson, the head of the
conservative RedState blog, wrote that the agenda is “full of mom tested, kid approved pab-
lum,” lacking in concrete propos- als such as a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. The most immediate proposal
for cutting spending is to reduce government funding, except that tied to national security and pro- grams for the elderly, to fiscal 2008 levels. That would result in $100 billion in savings, according to Republican estimates. Howev- er, that would barely dent the annual federal deficit, which will exceed $1.3 trillion this year. Social conservatives, con-
cerned about the emerging eco- nomic focus of the GOP agenda, sent a letter to Boehner and HouseMinorityWhipEric Cantor (Va.) this month demanding in- clusion of moral-values issues. The Pledge calls for a ban on
federal funding for abortions but, aside from a brief mention of “traditional marriage” in the pre- amble, GOP leaders decided against noting their opposition to same-sex marriage or other issues related to gay rights. In the first 100 days of 1995,
House Republicans passed nine of the 10 planks of their Contract, but much of the agenda failed in the Senate. The most significant law, signed by President Bill Clin- ton in 1996 after a bipartisan compromise, was a landmark re- form of the welfare system. SomeRepublicans are optimis-
tic about the newagenda’s chanc- es if they win control of Congress, while others have more limited goals. “If nothing else, it dispels the
‘Party of No,’ ” said Rep. Jack Kingston (Ga.), a freshman in 1994.
kanep@washpost.com baconp@washpost.com
Audit: Calif. town was used as ‘cash drawer’
BY CHRISTOPHER PALMERI The Los Angeles suburb that
paid its city manager almost $800,000 a year illegally raised taxes, mismanaged bond funds and entered into improper con- tracts and land purchases, ac- cording to an audit by Califor- nia’s controller. Bell, Calif., used $93,000 to
Use your Macy’s Card and take an extra 20% off aselection of sale &clearance apparel for him, or take an extra 15% off all sale &clearance shoes, coats, suits, suit separates &sportcoats for him. Excludes: specials, super buys, men’s store electronics, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening anew Macy’s account. EXTRA SAVINGS%APPLIED TO REDUCED PRICES. EXTRA SAVINGS VALID THROUGH 9/27/2010.
REG. PRICES ARE OFFERING PRICES, AND SAVINGS MAY NOT BE BASED ON ACTUAL SALES. SALE PRICES IN EFFECT THROUGH 9/27/10. Advertised items may not be at your local Macy’s, and selections may vary. Prices and merchandise may differ on
macys.com. 6080047. For store locations&hours, log on to
macys.com
repay two personal loans extend- ed to its formermanager, Robert Rizzo, and approved $1.5million in other loans to city employees without authorization, the con- troller’s office saidWednesday. “The city had almost no ac- counting controls, no checks or
balances, and the general fund was run like a petty-cash drawer,” Controller John Chiang, a Demo- crat who is running for reelec- tion, said in a statement. “The city’s purse-strings were tied to only one individual, resulting in a perfect breeding ground for fraudulent, wasteful spending.” The audit reported that Bell
paid $4.8 million to buy land from a former mayor without documenting the purpose. Also, $10.4millionwas paid to compa- nies owned by a city official. The city issued $50 million of
a $70 million voter-approved bond measure without a docu- mented plan to use the proceeds, then lost $1.7million in potential
interest earnings because most of the money was deposited in a non-interest-bearing account, the audit found. Property-tax receipts that
were supposed to pay back the bonds were deposited into the city’s general fund rather than to a restricted debt-service fund, the audit found. Rizzo’s raises were contingent on a positive cash balance in the general fund, the audit said. Rizzo, 56, was among eight
current and former city officials arrested Tuesday. Rizzo was chargedwith 53 counts ofmisap- propriating public funds and conflict of interest. — Bloomberg News
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89