Congressman Luján: House Republicans Turn Out the Lights on the American People

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Congressman Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District released the following statement today on the House Republican leadership’s decision to recess the House until November 13.

“With millions of Americans still looking for work and with the country rapidly approaching a fiscal cliff, House Republicans have packed up, turned out the lights on the American people, and headed home until after the November election. This is the earliest Congress has adjourned before an election in more than 50 years. This dubious distinction is on top of the ‘Do Nothing’ Congress’ record for being the least productive Congress in a generation. Between August 3 and November 13, the House of Representatives will have been in session to vote for a total of only eight days.

“The list of unfinished business that the Republican majority leaves behind severely impacts the people of New Mexico who are looking to their elected leaders to address the nation’s challenges. Farmers and ranchers in New Mexico are suffering from the impact of a severe drought, yet the House Republicans are kicking the can down the road on the Farm Bill. They are refusing to bring up a bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization that includes protections for Native Americans. They have failed to take action on a Senate-passed postal reform bill at a time when rural post offices are seeing their hours cut. And House Republicans are refusing to take steps to ensure that tax cuts for working families do not expire at the end of the year.

“The House has a responsibility to the American people to stay in session and complete this important work. I am disappointed that House Republicans have thrown in the towel and put our country’s business on hold for the next seven weeks. I encourage the Republican leadership to reconsider their decision, bring the House back into session, and get to work.”

What Others Are Saying About the Do-Nothing Congress

Norm Ornstein, Congressional Scholar with the American Enterprise Institute, and Thomas Mann, Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institute: Let’s just say it: The Republicans are the problem

We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.” [4/27/12]

Baltimore Sun: A do-nothing Congress returns to Washington; don't expect much

The 112th Congress has passed far fewer bills than any Congress in recent years…Compromise is now a dirty word and, as the debt ceiling fight proved, there is a large faction among the House Republicans who would close the government and bring down the economy rather than vote for the tiniest of taxes. [9/18]

Bellingham Herald Editorial: Farmers pay the price for GOP politics

House Republicans are once again stalling passage on a crucial bipartisan bill for purely political reasons, and putting Midwest farmers and low-income families at risk…While Boehner plays politics, real American farmers and ranchers are facing the loss of their land or selling off their cattle because this year’s merciless droughts have dried up their pastures. They need to know what kind of help is coming their way to make informed decisions about crop insurance and land management…Where are the senators and representatives who truly care about people – the working poor and the farmers besieged by natural disaster trying to provide plentiful inexpensive food? We know where they are not: in the House Republican caucus. [9/18]

News Chief (Florida) Editorial: Congress is not doing its job

After being here only two days in August, according to House Republican leader Eric Cantor's schedule, the House returned this week to a huge, and hugely important, workload…The fact that Congress has to do this at all should reflect very badly on them because it means that not only did they not get their constitutionally mandated work done on time; they didn't get it done at all, although the GOP-controlled House was repeatedly able to find time to repeal Obamacare.[ ]