Democrats’ Six for ‘06
The Democrats released the “Six for ‘06″ platform back in July, so this is not new, but a refresh may be helpful. McClatchey Newspapers released this summarized analysis and First 100 Hours commitment today. Notice anything missing from the First 100 Hours?
(1) “Real security at home and overseas.” Includes phased redeployment of troops from Iraq and doubling the size of special forces.
(2) “Better American jobs, better pay.” Would prohibit congressional pay raises until the federal minimum wage was raised.
(3) “College access for all.” Would cut interest rates on student loans in half and expand Pell grants. Would make permanent a college tuition tax deduction now set to expire, and let joint filers who earn up to $80,000 deduct up to $4,000 in tuition costs from their taxable annual income.
(4) “Energy independence/lower gas prices.” Would “free America from dependence on foreign oil” but doesn’t say how. Would “enact tough laws to stop price gouging.”
(5) “Affordable health care/lifesaving science.” Calls for government-negotiated pharmaceutical prices for seniors on Medicare and more federal money for embryonic stem-cell research.
(6) “Retirement security and dignity.” Rejects privatizing Social Security but sets no plan for long-term solvency.
Per McLatchey, If Democrats take the House of Representatives, they pledge within the first 100 hours of legislative business to do the following six items.
-Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour from $5.15.
-Authorize the secretary of health and human services to negotiate lower prices from pharmaceutical companies for senior citizens on the Medicare prescription-drug plan.
-Repeal subsidies for big oil companies.
-Halve interest rates on college loans.
-Impose new ethics and lobbying restrictions on lawmakers and former staff members.
-Authorize more money for law enforcement’s first responders and to buy unsecured nuclear weapons from states of the former Soviet Union.
Hello? There is zero about Iraq in the first 100 hours. Assume they work eight hours per day, five days per week. [chuckle, chuckle]. 100 hours is two and one-half weeks. I realize that is not long, but does it not make sense to have the number one issue on the radar? Clearly they will not resolve Iraq any time soon, but it should be mentioned at some level if it is no more than organizing strategy meetings. Maybe I am looking at this from the wrong perspective, but I think this is a big faux pas.
You can read the entire “New Direction” ‘06 platform here (House version). The complete Democratic platform, which was written at the 2004 convention, is here.
