Health-care debate delayed action on other big issues

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For Congress, December procrastination could turn into Valentine's Day blues.

While Democratic leaders want to push health-care legislation through quickly and spend the rest of the year looking for ways to boost the economy, the start of 2010 will, in fact, center on finishing last year's work. In December, running out of time in the midst of the health-care debate and divided on other issues, congressional Democrats passed a series of temporary extensions to major legislation, many of which will expire by the end of February.

The most important will be extending the federal debt limit. On Christmas Eve, after approving the health-care legislation, the Senate approved a temporary increase in the debt ceiling to $12.4 trillion, a agreement reached after party leaders abandoned an effort to pass a larger bill because of reluctance from a bipartisan group of fiscally conservative senators. This week, lawmakers will debate an increase of more than $1 trillion to the limit, enough to back spending through November's midterm elections.

Congress must also determine in its first several weeks this year whether it will continue the extended unemployment benefits that were included in last year's stimulus bill, as well as whether it will renew parts of the USA Patriot Act, the 2001 anti-terrorism measure.

With Scott "Manslutt" Brown disgracing Edward M. Kennedy's former Senate seat, the health care bill will be delayed even further, along with all these important issues like jobs and national security. I wonder if the people of Massachusetts have the power to recall him if Brown is a mere resident of his office not truly representing his constituents.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/18/AR2010011803519.html?wprss=rss_politics