Bill Sali says he arrived in Congress to find a system that's "goofy." Congressmen debate bills in an empty chamber. Testimony at committee hearings is by invitation only. Votes are noisy, messy affairs. Bills have multiple issues tucked into them, and the only choices are all or nothing. "Things do not make sense," said the freshman Idaho Republican, whose seven months in office so far have been marked by "no" votes on an array of popular bills. He voted against economic development funding for Indian tribes. He opposed reauthorizing Head Start. He turned thumbs-down on scientific research funding, small-business loans and incentives, rural housing money and community policing grants. Sali said he's "trying to keep us from spending our grandkids into bankruptcy." He added, "People like the way I'm voting, and I'm getting encouragement all the time, saying, 'You're doing a great job, keep it up.'"
Question: Will Sali fulfill his mission simply by voting no on spending bills?
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.
Testimony at committee hearings is by invitation only. Votes are noisy, messy affairs. Bills have multiple issues tucked into them, and the only choices are all or nothing. "Things do not make sense," said the freshman Idaho Republican, whose seven months in office so far have been marked by "no" votes on an array of popular bills. He voted against economic development funding for Indian tribes. He opposed reauthorizing Head Start. He turned thumbs-down on scientific research funding, small-business loans and incentives, rural housing money and community policing grants. Sali said he's "trying to keep us from spending our grandkids into bankruptcy." He added, "People like the way I'm voting, and I'm getting encouragement all the time, saying, 'You're doing a great job, keep it up.'"
