Republicans in the Senate Block 9/11 Health and Compensation Act

[cinyc]

What part of no bills will get on the floor until the tax cut and government funding bills are passed don't Democrats understand?  The only bill the Senate acted upon in the lame duck session is the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act - and that's probably because cloture was brought before the Republicans made their priorities known.  Those should be the priorities of the American people, too - not, like many of the other bills Democrats want to raise in the lame duck session, goodies for the Democratic base like the DREAM Act.

The only other thing the full Senate has done since coming back is hold a judicial impeachment trial.

[cinyc]

Nice try, but there is no excuse for holding everything hostage until their little agenda gets passed. It doesn't make Republicans look noble, it just makes them look like the selfish ideologues they really are, but pretend not to be.

"The Republicans are terrorists.  They are holding the Democrats hostage" meme is tiresome.  

There was an election.  As Obama said when he got into office, elections have consequences.  Remember him lecturing Republicans about how "I won?"  Well, he and the Democrats lost in November.  Big time.  

Republicans are using the power granted to the Senate minority to do the work the American people want them to do - get the economy back on track and get the government funded in a proper way, not getting sidetracked with giving away goodies to Democratic special interests as the Democrats had done for the past 2 years, largely against the will of the American people.

[cinyc]

All those affected by 9/11 = a special interest group?

Well, they're not a general interest group, like all taxpayers or all citizens.  They are a group of people who have a particular interest not shared with the rest of the public - so as loosely defined, I guess so (and, as far as I remember, it's not all those who are affected by 9/11 who benefit under the bill, largely first responders).  But they're not an inherently Democratic special interest group, or what in particular I was talking about.

I was talking more about DADT, the DREAM act, the various paycheck (supposed) fairness acts, card check, etc.

[cinyc]

So I guess the pubs abandoning their principles is something you don't want to address, cinyc?

What principles?  That the unemployment extension should be payed for?  Something that's been a principle for a short period?  The next House will take that up along with cuts to government spending.  You have to give a little to get a little.