Congress to reconvene; focus on energy and the economy

According to CNN, Congress will reconvene this coming Monday now that the Democratic and Republican national conventions are out of the way. Members of both parties will be “eager to use the three-week session to show voters why their candidates are the ones to fix the economy and lower energy prices.” Energy seems to be the number one issue in this campaign right now. McCain insists that he and Palin will be ‘agents of change,’ but his past voting record shows that he supported Bush more than McCain is willing to admit. Many voters are betting that to elect McCain would be asking for another four years of President Bush. Obama is also promising change, but CNN in particular seems to favor his policies as more likely to have a positive effect on the economy.

The two main problems to be addressed by Congress will be the energy crisis and the economy. Republicans want to drill new offshore oil wells, to ”produce more energy at home,” said McCain at the National Convention.

Here is an extended excerpt from an article by CNN:

Republicans and the White House also object to the cost of Democratic proposals for a second economic relief measure, which could include public works investment, disaster aid and heating subsidies to low-income families. Rebates for taxpayers, the centerpiece of the $168 billion plan that Bush signed in February, are less likely this round.

There are glimmers of movement in the Senate on energy.

A group of eight Democrats and eight Republicans is putting together a compromise bill that would allow drilling off the coast of Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, and Florida's Gulf coast; invest $20 billion on developing petroleum-free motor vehicles; and extend expiring renewable energy tax credits.

The compromise bill sounds like a good idea to me. If Congress turns into Republicans vs. Democrats, nothing will get done. But this new proposal would lower the price of oil while promoting cleaner, more energy-efficient cars. The compromise is a breath of fresh air in an atmosphere filled with political propaganda; hopefully Congress will support it in the weeks to come.

" Congress returns from recess with campaigning on the mind." CNN.com. 7 Sep 2008. CNN. 4:00pm 7 Sep 2008 <http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/07/congress.ap/index.html>.