Ready to Exit on a Feisty Note
Senators Throw Parting Shots
Roll Call Staff
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Republican and Democratic Senators sought to stake out ground in their upcoming monthlong battle for the majority on Wednesday, using the Washington, D.C., megaphone one last time to build early momentum for their messages to voters.
As GOP Senators ramped up their case for remaining in charge by touting a laundry list of accomplishments from the 109th Congress, Democrats continued their election-year push for a “New Direction for America” — the party’s platform for a prospective majority.
Neither party’s efforts offered much in the way of surprises, but they did shed light on exactly what Senators will be stumping on during the four-week August recess that begins at the end of this week. And the media assault underscores just how critical both parties view the upcoming November elections and the tight battle to secure power.
One day after laying out their feats to the Republican Conference, Senate leaders went to the microphones Wednesday to publicly play up the session’s accomplishments, wrapped around a security theme that they hope to present in their states to convince voters to keep them in charge.
Republicans plan to tout four major areas of success from this Congress — securing the country’s homeland, economic prosperity, health and values.
“We’re making real headway,” Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said. “We’re meeting the challenges of the nation and Americans in their everyday lives.”
Frist acknowledged that Republicans must do three things heading into the election-year homestretch: maintain a majority, lay out how Republicans have governed effectively and articulate a strong message that shows contrasts between the two parties.
A key part of that mission for the GOP is to emphasize the security theme — a campaign plank that helped keep the Congress in Republican hands over the previous two cycles. Key party leaders say that, despite lagging poll numbers, security offers the party its best chance to keep control come January.
“What we have done is to lead,” said Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), who himself faces a competitive bid for a third term. “We’ve done all the things that need to be done while keeping an eye on the safety and security of this nation.”
Republicans are hoping that it’s not too late to trump a Democratic message counter- offensive — that the majority party has overseen a “do-nothing” Congress and left the country hanging when it comes to Americans’ needs. Democrats have spent months rolling out a multitiered agenda around issues such as corruption, national security failures and domestic policy — one they believe can convince voters that they offer a better option than the Republican status quo.
“We're going to beat the 1948 Congress,” Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) complained Tuesday, comparing the current Congress to the infamous session that President Harry Truman famously dubbed the “Do-Nothing Congress.” Reid said that the current Congress has been in longer than the one from 1948 Congress but passed fewer bills.
Democratic leaders have used the week to underscore those efforts. Using the “New Direction” slogan as a backdrop, Democratic Senators on Wednesday honed in on one of the week’s most charged issues: the minimum wage. Democratic leaders are battling to keep their Caucus together on the “trifecta” bill, a measure crafted by the Republicans that would slash the estate tax, boost the minimum wage and extend the life of certain tax provisions.
Democrats, led by Reid, have been lobbying their Members intensely in recent days to stop Frist from garnering the 60 votes he needs to win passage of the bill on Friday. Democratic leaders, who want a clean up-or-down vote on the minimum-wage increase and who oppose the estate tax repeal, acknowledged an uncertain outcome Wednesday.
“We’re working on it,” said Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.). “We’re close. An overwhelming majority of our Caucus understands this is a bad bill.”
As Democrats worked the halls on the trifecta bill, leaders also were eyeing the recess, knowing it will provide one of their last opportunities to talk directly to voters about changing control of Congress.
Democrats already have armed the Caucus with their summer homework, urging Senators to spend the next four weeks drumming up support for their “New Direction” slogan. Leaders are asking Senators to play up a message of a stronger national security (including a new course in Iraq), better pay and better jobs, college access for all, energy independence, affordable health care and retirement security.
According to a recess packet handed out by Democratic leaders, Senators will make as their key point that “the Republican Congress is not taking care of America. Democrats believe Congress should work for everyone. It’s time for a new direction.”
Reid is asking his Caucus to hold at least two events in their states during this break, one more than usually asked of Senators. Reid has urged Senators to hold an event this Saturday outlining their priorities, calling that day “The New Direction for America Day.” A second themed day, on the minimum wage, would be scheduled for Sept. 4 — Labor Day.
“People are upset with where the President and the Republicans have taken this country,” said Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “We need to show them what we’re going to do.”
John Stanton contributed to this report.
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