Kevin noted an interesting report from TNR’s Michael Crowley who attended a Center for American Progress forum yesterday on “reforms to combat the increasingly — and shockingly — anti-democratic tendencies of the House of Representatives.” Barney Frank pointed to at least one encouraging thing he’s noticed, though I’d argue it’s not as heartening as Frank suggested.
Barney Frank also said another interesting thing: Republicans have become less prone to holding open floor votes for hours on end, as they notoriously did to pass their 2003 Medicare bill, because reporters have begun flocking to the press gallery to observe the arm-twisting and horse-trading on the floor during such marathon sessions, which can lead to some embarrassing reportage the next day. Frank said Republicans leaders understand that they’re now being watched. It’s a start.
I guess there are a few ways to look at this. Kevin said Republicans “can either clean up their floor votes and stop the last minute arm twisting, or they can try to figure out ways to keep people from watching while they do it.” He assumes the GOP will go with the latter, which given what we’ve seen, sounds like a safe bet.
But I had a far different take — I think Frank is giving House Republicans way too much credit. He told the CAP forum that Republicans have become less prone to holding open floor votes beyond their allotted time, but the truth is, it still happens all the time.
* In October, during a vote on a House oil refinery bill, the chamber was scheduled for a five-minute vote, but Republicans held the vote open. After 35 minutes, opponents still outnumbered supporters, 212 to 210 before the serious arm-twisting and threats began. Eventually, one lawmaker, Maryland Republican Wayne Gilchrest, who had promised to vote against the bill, was “persuaded” to switch.
* In July, House Republicans couldn’t pass the Central American Free Trade Agreement, so they held the vote open an hour until they got the results they wanted.
* Last summer, Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), had the votes to defeat the most controversial feature of the Patriot Act — the power of the federal government to see what books people buy and check out at libraries — until House GOP leaders held the vote open until Republican lawmakers who supported the change could be “convinced” to reverse their votes.
This tactic — once described by Dick Cheney as an “arrogant, heavy-handed abuse” — happens all the time. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Barney Frank, but he’s praising progress in the House that doesn’t appear to exist. Republicans know they’re being watched — but they don’t care.