Don’t blame the Republicans

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To the editor:

Rep. Eliot Engel recently issued the following statement after voting against what he called “the Anti-Dreamers Bill”:

“House Republicans voted to kill the American Dream for thousands of children who qualify for deferred action. Given that the House leadership has failed to pass meaningful legislation to strengthen the economy or create new jobs, fund a long-term plan to fix our aging infrastructure and tackle pay inequality, then I guess it’s fair to say that they are trying to kill the American Dream for all of us.”

Well, Rep. Engel, you guessed wrong! It is absolutely not fair to say what you did. This is just another example of the partisan bull --- that emanates from you on the federal level, and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz on the state level, blaming Republicans for what you refer to as a failure to pass (what Democrats consider to be) “meaningful legislation.”

Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution describes how a bill becomes law. A bill can originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, except for revenue bills, which can only originate in the House. When both bodies pass the same exact bill, it is sent to the president, who can either sign the bill — which then becomes law — or send it back, in which case a two-thirds affirmative vote in both the House and the Senate makes the bill a law despite the president’s veto.

A bill can also automatically become a law if the president doesn’t sign it, but doesn’t return it within a period of 10 days, excluding Sundays.

When the House and the Senate have differing bills, a joint committee is set up consisting of members of both legislative bodies who (in supposed good faith) try to work out one bill they can agree upon. 

It then goes back to each body to be voted upon. Many times, because of strongly held opposing views, they are unsuccessful in finding agreement.

Also, there is absolutely no legal requirement that a bill passed in the House must be brought to the floor of the Senate to be discussed and voted upon, or vice versa. And so, for several years now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, has refused to bring to the floor of the Senate bills which originated in the House — bills that dealt with the economy, jobs (for example, the Keystone XL pipeline), infrastructure, the border crisis, etc.

What it is fair to say is that the Republicans have just as much right to blame the Senate Democrats for gridlock and obstruction as you do for blaming them. Isn’t that the truth Congressman Engel?

And isn’t it also true, Rep. Engel, that negotiations and compromise require the good faith efforts of all parties concerned — including not only House Republicans and Senate Democrats, but also our arrogant, obstinate, dictatorial president, Barack Obama? His motto seems to be, “It’s my way or the highway.” 

I await your response, congressman.

Alvin Gordon

Anti-Dreamers Bill, Eliot Engel, President Obama, Alvin Gordon

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