As far as politics goes, we all know what is going on right now- health care reform and climate change. The two biggies. The Senate comes back this week and it’s time to get down to business. For those of us, myself included, who don’t have an intimate knowledge of how the senate actually gets things done, it is somewhat frustrating to hear that the rest of the year may not be enough time to actually get bills about climate change and healthcare reform through.

I simply ask, Why Not?

Perhaps I am just a citizen who doesn’t understand the inner workings of the Washington beaurocracy, perhaps I am an overzealous citizen who expects the senate to support the administration that the people voted into power in whatever way they can, or perhaps I am just an impatient, emotional guy full of heart who wants to see his country support, however it can, the health of its citizens and the health of the earth.

Point being, I’m impatient. 100 days isn’t enough? Just spend a month or so on each one, get them done and go home for Thanksgiving. I mean, you had all summer to talk about it, whine about it and make it fit in with what works for you and your state. Just get something out there. And as for the climate change bill, there is absolutely no excuse for us to not have commitments and lines drawn by the time we go to Copenhagen- after not signing on to the Kyoto Protocol, we cannot walk into the halls of the next meeting undecided and soft- not acceptable. Not ok.

But it appears this is just what is happening.

Frank O-Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch, said that a climate change bill by December is… “not an impossibility, but it's certainly not a slam-dunk and never has been.” [The healthcare debate] “has basically sucked all the oxygen out of the room."

Seriously? One debate over one issue is sucking the oxygen out of the room? This is your job, senators. I have no sympathy. You are having a hard time voting on two different bills because the require you to take stands that may upset some of your constituents, that require you to be forward-thinking? Deal with it. That is the job. And as for some kind of excuse that you are worn out by the healthcare reform debate, I don’t buy it for a nano-second. Buck up, people.  

The sticking point happens to be some moderate Democrats. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has been working to make sure the bill has the right language to get those moderate votes.
Heading that committee is Senator Barbara Boxer, and she is working off the bill passed by the House of Representatives intended to cut utility and factory emissions of greenhouse gases by 17 percent by 2020, from 2005 levels.

With the UN’s Moon recently saying that we will fall into an abyss without doing something drastic, perhaps the senate will make it happen. I hope so. The White House seems to believe that healthcare reform will happen this year...

And if they can be dramatically optimistic, well so can I.