Richard Tafoya
Dec 27th, 2006, 04:38 PM
Politicalwire.com:
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/12/27/democrats_plan_cordial_takeover.html
"After chafing for years under what they saw as flagrant Republican abuse of Congressional power and procedures, the incoming [Democratic] majority has promised to restore House and Senate practices to those more closely resembling the textbook version of how a bill becomes law: daylight debate, serious amendments and minority party participation," reports the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/us/politics/27civil.html?ref=politics).
"Beyond the parliamentary issues, Democrats assuming control on Jan. 4 said they also wanted to revive collegiality and civility in an institution that has been poisoned by partisanship in recent years. In a gesture duly noted by Republicans," incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) offered current Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), "who is remaining in Congress, the use of prime office space in the Capitol out of respect for his position."
In addition, Pelosi has consulted with House Republican leader John Boehner (R-OH) "in developing initiatives for the year, including a task force to explore independent enforcement of ethics rules. That was in sharp contrast to two years ago, when Republicans -- who only grudgingly consulted Democrats -- pushed through a set of diluted ethics rules that they were later forced to rescind. Democrats also supported a severance package for senior Republican aides, but the spending was blocked in the last hours of Congress by conservative Republicans."
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/12/27/democrats_plan_cordial_takeover.html
"After chafing for years under what they saw as flagrant Republican abuse of Congressional power and procedures, the incoming [Democratic] majority has promised to restore House and Senate practices to those more closely resembling the textbook version of how a bill becomes law: daylight debate, serious amendments and minority party participation," reports the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/us/politics/27civil.html?ref=politics).
"Beyond the parliamentary issues, Democrats assuming control on Jan. 4 said they also wanted to revive collegiality and civility in an institution that has been poisoned by partisanship in recent years. In a gesture duly noted by Republicans," incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) offered current Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), "who is remaining in Congress, the use of prime office space in the Capitol out of respect for his position."
In addition, Pelosi has consulted with House Republican leader John Boehner (R-OH) "in developing initiatives for the year, including a task force to explore independent enforcement of ethics rules. That was in sharp contrast to two years ago, when Republicans -- who only grudgingly consulted Democrats -- pushed through a set of diluted ethics rules that they were later forced to rescind. Democrats also supported a severance package for senior Republican aides, but the spending was blocked in the last hours of Congress by conservative Republicans."