Priorities
It struck me again yesterday that the priorities of those hunkered down in the Washington, D.C. swamp are far different from those we here in the real world identify.
I was scrolling through the midday POLITICO e-newsletter at the various topics this Senator or that Representative were spending time promoting.
For example…a reconciliation bill with $95 billion in supplemental funding for the Iran war, to be passed in hurry up fashion now before the five-week August break, with the promise of passing a policy-focused bill after the November election during a lame duck session…a push to require the Justice Department to release its records concerning Jeffrey Epstein’s contacts with foreign governments…whether China AI models include American intellectual property…changing exhibit descriptions at the Smithsonian…the prospects for year-round daylight saving time passing the Senate…and the list goes on.
Not that those items, separately and collectively, aren’t worthy of notice. It’s just that after this week, the next time both the House and Senate will be in session at the same time won’t be until September 14th…and near as I can figure, only then for two weeks.
Where’s the progress on a government budget for the fiscal year that starts October 1st? Any movement on a five-year farm bill that’s already a few years overdue? What about voting integrity—although they’ve wasted so much time nothing they do even today will probably apply for this November?
Reminds me of when I was in college and December finals week rolled around. My apartment was never cleaner, and my Christmas cards were never sent earlier, than when I was avoiding doing the hard work of studying in favor of other things. Sure, it all needed to be done…but you need to exercise priorities.
