John Boehner, Oct 29, 2007

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to read that approval ratings for Congress are at an all-time low. After all, there’s really not much work getting done these days other than naming post offices, courthouses and roads. While it’s appropriate that we should honor the achievements of extraordinary Americans, Congress needs to get down to the business of the American people.

We’re moving into November, and Congress has yet to send a single spending bill to the White House for the President’s approval. Without a Presidential signature, the federal government doesn’t have the authority to spend your tax dollars. Now while some might see this as a good thing, it’s been more than 20 years since Congress has waited this long in the year to send the President a single bill allocating these dollars.

On no bill is Congress’ failure to act more troubling than on a measure to fund health care, housing programs and other benefits for our veterans and troops. Among the provisions in the Veterans Affairs-Military Construction Appropriations bill is $600 million for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder care, traumatic brain injury research and care; $4.1 billion to improve VA facilities, hospitals and clinics; and $21.4 billion for facilities to house and train military personnel abroad and at home.

Even though the House passed this legislation more than four months ago and the Senate has been ready to work on it since early September, we’re stalled because some in Congress have decided this bill should have billions of dollars in unrelated, wasteful government spending attached to it. It is outrageous that our men and women in uniform are being used as pawns in a political endgame.

There’s been little interest in Congress, though, for policy and legislative accomplishments versus political games. We’re seeing this right now with the continuing fight to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). House Republicans are committed to strengthening this valuable program so it can continue helping the poor children for whom it was created. We oppose expanding this program to wealthy adults and others who already have private health insurance and using a tax increase on working families to pay for it.

Other policy goals that are suffering because of political games include efforts to fix a loophole in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that requires our intelligence communities to obtain court approval before listening to foreign-based terrorists plotting against us. And our troops were forced to wait while a critical funding bill was delayed for 108 days as House Republicans fought efforts to include in the legislation surrender dates for the war in Iraq and language to handcuff our generals.

However, we have named 46 post offices, courthouses and roads; passed 44 non-controversial measures sponsored by Republicans or passed with overwhelming bipartisan support; extended 14 pre-existing public laws or laws passed during a Republican-led Congress; and enacted into law two bills passed by Republican support over the objections of the majority leadership in the U.S. House.

Because Congress continues to put politics before accomplishments, it’s no accident that just 11 percent of Americans believe that Congress isn't doing anything. It’s time we get to work.

Congressman John Boehner is the House Minority Leader. Boehner, a Republican, represents Ohio's Eighth Congressional District, which includes Miami, Butler, Preble, Darke, and Mercer Counties.