Republicans Push for Voter-Friendly Bills
Energy, Highway Measures Are Viewed as a Tonic Amid Thorny Issues of Iraq, Social Security
By CHRISTOPHER COOPER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
June 14, 2005; Page A4
WASHINGTON -- Republicans, increasingly worried that they are being dragged down by antipathy over the tough issues of Iraq and Social Security, are calling on the White House to push harder on more-voter-friendly legislation, with energy and highway bills at the top of their wish list.
Though White House aides maintain that Democrats have more to lose if Washington devolves into gridlock, some administration officials agree that passage of a few bread-and-butter bills might be the perfect tonic for both the president and Republican lawmakers who face election next year.
(snip)
Lawmakers hope part of the answer will come from two pieces of legislation linked to constituents' economic concerns. The energy bill, which has passed the House and reaches the Senate floor in a different form this week, would represent a step toward addressing gasoline prices, which polls show are a concern for voters. And the highway bill, now in a House-Senate conference, would finance nearly $300 billion of infrastructure projects at a time when Americans are increasingly fearful about the economy.
Yet President Bush has threatened to veto the highway bill as too expensive. And both efforts could be overtaken by a summer battle over the Supreme Court, if Chief Justice William Rehnquist retires. Fighting over Mr. Bush's judicial nominees, and his choice of John Bolton to be United Nations ambassador, has occupied much of the Senate's time in recent weeks.
(snip)
Some Republican lawmakers are keeping their distance from Mr. Bush's Social Security initiative or his position on other issues. Polls show the public at odds with the president's opposition to legislation expanding funding for embryonic stem-cell research, which has passed the Republican-controlled House and may reach the Senate floor soon.
(snip)
---- Brody Mullins contributed to this article.
Write to Christopher Cooper at
[email protected] URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111870458225258574,00.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
