Kitty Felde
The inside story on California's congressional delegation.
May 2009 Archives
Gracious in Defeat
Henry Waxman got what he wanted. At 8:30 last night, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed sweeping climate change legislation.
This was Waxman’s first big challenge since he wrestled the chairmanship away from Michigan Democrat John Dingell. For years, it had been difficult to get environmentally friendly legislation past Dingle’s loyalty to the automobile industry. But on a 33 to 25 vote, mostly along party lines, the committee approved a measure that promotes renewable sources of energy and sets up a trading system for swapping pollution credits.
But it took a long time to get there. This week alone, the committee spent 37 hours debating 94 ammendments. It could have been worse: 350 ammendments had originally been submitted for consideration, about two thirds from Republicans. Minority leader Joe Barton of Texas quipped, “We do have a new source of biomass and that’s all the ammendments we placed at the desk.”
But this was the surprising part. Over and over again, Republicans knew they didn’t have the votes, but they put their ammendments out there anyway. Over and over again, they were voted down. Rather than a simple voice vote on those ammendments, Republicans demanded the timetaking task of conducting a full roll call of the committee’s 58 members. Every member’s name was called, every member replied with an “aye” or a “no” and every vote was counted.
At one point, Waxman said, “The Chair would now like to call on Mr. Buyer (Republican Steve Buyer from Indiana) to offer an ammendment. You have just one ammendment?
Buyer: I have one endblock ammendment which will be the last ammendment on the Republican side, given that you have no more ammendments.
Waxman: Well, we do have some ammendments on the Democratic side.
Buyer: Well, how many ammendments do you have on your side? Because actually we’ve got like 400 more if you want us to go.
Waxman: You’ve been very generous in taking up our time.
There was a big laugh in the room. And it might have been taken as a bit mean spirited. But in the end, Waxman got a huge round of applause for his fairness in dealing with Republicans.
Conrgressman Buyer said, “Mr. Chairman I want to compliment you. I want to compliment you on the art of fair dealing and wise tolerance in which you have handled the gavel through a very difficult “mark” (short for markup, the ammendment process) and I extend my personal compliments to you for having done that.”
Then the Minority Leader on the Committee, Joe Barton of Texas, added his compliments:
“I don’t agree with the work product, but I do agree and am very much impressed with your ability in your first major test as Chairman to keep the committee functioning in a collegial way, which is no trivial accomplishment. It really is impressive.”
That’s not to say Republicans were happy with the vote. They all voted no, except for Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack of Palm Springs.
Congressman Joe Barton summed it this way, “I know that those of you who are proponants have every right to be proud of it. And to the victors go the spoils…Suffice it to say that myself and others who will not vote for the bill do have legitimate and serious concerns about the redirection of our energy policy in America, the foundation and the bedrock of our free market economy, which is the most efficient, the most productive, the largest in the world. One third of the world’s GDP is based on the United States economy. And that economy, for over 150 years, has been based on a free market allocation of resources in the energy sector. And this bill does make fundamental changes in that basic philosophy. Now, those of you who support the bill have every right to think that those changes are necessary. And for the sake of our nation, I hope to some degree you’re right. I’m afraid that you’re not. But we will see.”
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- May 22, 2009 6:06 AM by Kitty Felde
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The Governator
It was great fun watching the Washington press corps watching the Governor.
Arnold Schwarzenegger had been meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. He wanted the feds to back off his plan to cut the pay of home health care workers. Their union complained to the Obama administration which threatened to withhold billions in federal stimulus dollars. The Governor got what he wanted and he walked out of one of the ugliest buildings in Washington surrounded by a few aides and security fellows with things in their ears.
And then he astonished the DC press corps by walking across the street to the park where the cameras were waiting. “He’s walking?!?!?” the Bloomberg reporter asked. What? Do they think we drive everywhere just because we’re Californians?
Of course, after the press conference was over, a posse of SUVs pulled up to the curb and the Governor rode off into the sunset.
You could almost hear a sigh of relief from that Bloomberg guy.
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- May 20, 2009 6:27 PM by Kitty Felde
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I Carry a Badge
It’s National Police Week.
That means Washington DC is full of (mostly) men in blue. And tan. And tee shirts. And even kilts. There are cops on motorcycles, cops in bars, even half a dozen cops from Folsom who insist on escorting you to the metro. And one fellow who keeps playing the bagpipes.
They’re here to honor fellow officers who were killed in action this past year.
And they came to find the Irish bar down the street.
The city never felt safer.
To welcome them, the Metropolitan Police (as the DC police call themselves) put on a bit of a show. Dozens of cars, all with their red, white and blue lights flashing, rushed down F Street and pulled up in front of the National Portrait Gallery. They blocked off the street and fell into important looking formations. Officers from other departments were curious, but apparently there’s a protocol. You don’t approach a fellow officer and simply ask, “what’s going on?” You can, however, ask about their police technique. Which, apparently, is quite different depending on what part of the country you’re policing. In the end, the incident came to naught, the MPD drove off, lights a flashing, into the sunset.
Just the facts, Ma’am.
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- May 14, 2009 7:49 PM by Kitty Felde
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He's BAAACK
No, sadly not Manny Ramirez.
LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was back in town this weekend. Second weekend in a row. In fact, if my math is correct, his honor, the Mayor, has made 8 trips to Washington DC…since the beginning of 2009.
A week ago, it was to address AIPAC - the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. This past weekend, it was to attend the star-studded White House Correspondent’s Dinner. Mayor Villaraigosa was the guest of CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
In March, when he was in town for LA’s annual lobbying visit, I asked the Mayor whether reporters were asking him the wrong question. Instead of asking whether he’s running for Governor, should we be asking instead whether he’s looking for a new job in Washington? He smiled broadly and laughed and said, “just trying to do the city’s business.”
Always nice to see familiar faces here in Washington, Mr. Mayor. Y’all come on back anytime, you hear?
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- May 12, 2009 2:44 PM by Kitty Felde
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Home Room
Republican Congressman David Dreier was shocked to learn that KPCC’s new Washington Correspondent had yet to spend an afternoon in the House Gallery, watching members cast votes. He insisted this was the day.
It’s like arriving in a foreign country without a guide book.
News of an impending vote is broadcast (through a mysterious serious of buzzers and bells in House offices), abd members rush to the subway cars for the short trip to the Capitol. There, they take crowd into ALL the elevators getting to the second floor. If you’re not a member of Congress, you can wait.
Down on the House floor, it’s like home room - a reunion of familiar faces who haven’t seen each other forever. Or at least for 24 hours. There’s plenty of hand shaking, gossip sharing, and the meeting of someone’s grandchild. Eventually, members drift to either the Democratic or Republican side of the room.
And even within the parties, there are the cliques. The Congressional Black Caucus sits together. Not that any House member really ever sits down. LA Democrat Diane Watson showed her true Laker colors, wearing a purple suit and a bright yellow scarf.
Unlike the Senate, House members don’t get a desk of their own on the floor. They don’t even get a desk. Just an anonymous chair. Maybe that’s why most of them were on their feet.
At the very back of the room, younger male members are making noise, shouting “order!” and “vote!” to try to hurry along the proceedings. They are ignored. But it sounds more like a basketball game than a political event.
Eventually, a vote is called for on one of four ammendments.
Voting consists of sticking a plastic key card - not unlike a hotel key - into a slot attached to the back of most rows of chairs. If the card is recognized, the device lights up. Members then push the red button (a “no” vote) or the green button (a “yes” vote) or the yellow button that just shows they were present, but not casting a vote one way or the other. Votes are tallied in several places: a scorecard at one end of the room, and projected on the wall above the observation seats, a list of every member’s name and how they cast their ballot.
And just like that, it was over. Members scattered, leaving the House floor for their various districts. Once again, the Capitol was quiet.
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- May 7, 2009 3:30 PM by Kitty Felde
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Star Struck
Some say DC is full of celebrities…Barack Obama stepping out for a burger with Joe Biden, Jennifer Garner reading to little kids, “24” shooting down the street.
Nope. The real celebrity was walking down the halls of Congress on Wednesday, easily the most impeccably dressed man in the building.
And well he should be. Tim Gunn has advised clueless women and design impaired designers on cable television for years. What was he doing in the Capitol? Did Nancy Pelosi need some tips on how to break away from the red power jacket? Was Arlen Spector stumped about how a Democrat should dress? Perhaps the male press corps was being called in for a lecture on wearing something besides blue chambric shirts. Who knows?
The entire town should be called on the runway carpet.
It’s true what they say: fashion-wise, it’s very, very boring here. A Capitol Hill woman’s idea of comfortable work shoes is a flat with an ugly buckle across a square toe. California Congressmen and Congresswomen are the only members who regularly sport a color other than black. And then there’s the lobbyists. You can spot them easily: farmers wear checked shirts, Alzheimers activists wear purple sashes, and environmentalists wear green tee shirts.
Tim Gunn, you’ve arrived just in time!
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- May 6, 2009 5:10 PM by Kitty Felde
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