Washington – Divided by their liberal and moderate wings, congressional Democrats return Tuesday from a month-long recess without consensus on how to tackle several pressing issues, including Iraq and warrantless wiretaps.
Democrats control both chambers but lack the numbers to override President Bush’s vetoes of bids to mandate troop withdrawals from Iraq. They also have failed to significantly rewrite the administration’s electronic surveillance programs.
That leaves party leaders squeezed between two camps when the House and Senate reconvene Tuesday.
Anti-war lawmakers say any Iraq-related legislation that falls short of triggering troop withdrawals is pointless.
More-moderate Democrats want proposals to require the administration to rest troops more often and draw up redeployment plans.
Democratic leaders tried to narrow the gap with conference calls during the recess, including one Aug. 23 that drew more than 100 House Democrats. Participants said no detailed plan emerged, in part because many lawmakers want to wait for September reports on Iraq from the Government Accountability Office and the Bush administration.
“The main goal is to continue to keep pressure on the Republicans to change direction in Iraq through their votes, not just through their words,” said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., chairman of the Democrats’ House campaign committee.
Other key issues facing Congress include:
Spending: Senators have passed only one of the 12 appropriations bills sent from the House for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.
Energy: House and Senate negotiators will try to resolve key differences in their energy bills. The Senate version calls for greater fuel efficiency in automobiles; the House bill would place new taxes on the oil industry and mandate more energy from renewable sources.
Children’s health: House and Senate conferees must resolve differences in bills to expand health insurance for lower-income children while raising taxes on tobacco.
Mortgages: Both chambers plan to address problems in the subprime mortgage industry.
