Lott: Democrats Creating Legislative 'Log Jam'

Lott

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 11) -- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott is charging Senate Democrats with trying to create a "legislative log jam" by delaying action on appropriations bills, a tactic he says is holding up legislation important to the American people, including tax cuts.

Giving Saturday's weekly Republican radio address, Lott also blasted President Bill Clinton for isolating himself from what's going on in Congress.

"In all my years in government, I cannot remember a time, except during the months of the Watergate tragedy, when the president of the United States was disengaged, so personally removed from the work of the Congress," said Lott, who came to Washington in 1973. "Whatever the reason, President Clinton has chosen to become a bystander to the hard work of advancing the nation's business.

"His highly publicized executive orders, foreign visits and frequent Rose Garden ceremonies may be good media publicity, but they aren't good leadership."

Lott said that between now and the November elections, Senate Republicans want to pass anti-drug and anti-crime legislation, changes in bankruptcy laws and a bill to combat religious persecution in other countries.

"We can and we will finish that job, including, if I have my way, another round of tax reductions for hard-working Americans," he said.

But he said Democrats are using amendments and procedural maneuvers -- what he termed "political shenanigans" -- to create the impression of a "do-nothing Congress."

Lott also accused them of trying to delay appropriations bills beyond the beginning of the federal fiscal year that starts October 1 to create "a log jam that can only be broken by giving President Clinton more of your money to spend, in ways you probably don't want it to be spent."