The lame-duck session continued to be productive as Congress approved legislation to maintain the Bush tax-rate cuts and extend unemployment benefits. While it previously sparked controversy on both the left and right, the legislation moved through Congress relatively quickly after President Obama and Congressional Republicans released the outlines of a compromise. The Senate passed the legislation last Wednesday with a bipartisan vote of 81 in favor and 19 against. The House followed suit on Friday, passing the bill by 277 to 148.

President Obama held a signing ceremony at the White House last Friday. Vice President Joe Biden spoke first, emphasizing how this legislation represented what can happen when leaders in Washington are willing to compromise. After quoting Edmund Burke, saying "All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue, and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter," the vice president went on to thank Congressional Republicans. "I want to begin by applauding Senator Mitch McConnell, and the other Republican leaders, who like their Democratic counterparts who are here today, were willing to take issue with some of their own party and to do what was, in their view, necessary in order to move the country forward."

President Obama continued, saying "The final product proves when we can put aside the partisanship and the political games, when we can put aside what's good for some of us in favor of what's good for all of us, we can get a lot done."

DREAM Act Fails in Senate

The DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act, which last week passed through the House, failed in the Senate because the legislation did not receive the final five votes necessary to reach the 60-vote threshold. The legislation would have provided a path to permanent residency status for certain illegal immigrants at risk of deportation. The defeat of the legislation represents a major political win for Republicans hoping to crack down on illegal immigration. President Obama and Congressional Democrats say they will continue to push for the legislation.

Senators Support Deficit-Reduction Ideas

While the final report of President Obama's bipartisan deficit commission received support from 11 of the 18 panel members, it failed to cross the 14-vote threshold necessary for the plan to be submitted to Congress. However, Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) are now leading a group of 18 senators that aims to put forward a deficit-reduction bill sometime early next year.

The deficit commission's recommendations will form the basis of the bill, because Warner and Chambliss believe this framework represents the best starting point for bipartisan Congressional negotiations. Both senators are aiming for legislation that will bring federal spending down to 21 percent of gross domestic product by 2035.
Sixteen of the 18 Senators backing the Warner-Chambliss proposal took to the Senate floor last Tuesday to voice support for the deficit commission's plan.

The 10 Democrats were Senators Mark Begich (AK), Michael Bennet (CO), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Kay Hagan (NC), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Bill Nelson (FL), Jean Shaheen (NH), Jon Tester (MT), Mark Udall (CO) and Ron Wyden (OR). The six Republicans were Senators Lamar Alexander (TN), Bob Corker (TN), Mike Crapo (ID), Mike Johanns (NE), Jim Risch (ID) and Roger Wicker (MS).