Wednesday, January 9, 2002
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Wednesday, January 9, 2002 |
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Collins targets Daschle By DAVE
HAMRICK
Fayette's representative in the U.S. Congress is taking on the nation's top Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, in a series of press releases calling Daschle an obstructionist and a socialist, and accusing him of weakening national security. Daschle's office characterizes the criticism as petty Republican election strategy, saying that Republicans have vowed to "do exactly the same thing to Daschle [that Democrats did to former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich]." Collins, though, says it is precisely election strategy that is behind Daschle's opposition to the House-approved economic stimulus package. He also accuses the South Dakota senator of deliberately stalling President Bush's judicial appointments. "The real issue here is that it is to Daschle's political benefit to stall the recovery of the economy until after the midterm congressional elections," Collins said in one of two press releases issued last week. "Historically, the public has blamed the party in power for an economic slowdown, and voted accordingly, but the point that Daschle is missing is that in the Senate, his party, the Democratic Party, is in control," he added. Collins also quoted Daschle's responses during a Sunday interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" program in which he said his opposition to the House economic plan is primarily because that plan would provide too many benefits to rich people. "We can't exacerbate the deficit, we can't exacerbate the long-term interest rates, we can't exacerbate the division between those who are the wealthiest and those who are at the other end of the economic spectrum," Daschle said. Collins labeled the remarks "typical socialist rhetoric" and said the House plan is designed to stimulate investment while Daschle's plan would discourage investment. "Daschle argues that more entitlements are needed to make the stimulus package work, but he is being very disingenuous. The House added more entitlements to the measure in an attempt to help it pass the Democratically controlled Senate, and he still obstructed it," Collins argued. "Furthermore, all entitlements create are the need for more entitlements, while investment capital generates more economic investment and growth. We have a classic difference in free market enterprise versus traditional socialist thought." Collins said, "The 'rich' that Daschle believes will benefit from this economic stimulus plan are the people who own businesses, provide jobs, and who need capital to expand or subsist during this economic slowdown. They are the people who, if the economy doesn't improve, will be in need of those entitlements that Daschle is so fond of." Daschle's office responded that the senator's objection to the House-passed stimulus plan is based on his insistance that the plan include health insurance benefits for laid-off workers. "Should an economic stimulus plan include temporary unemployment and health benefits for laid-off workers? Democrats say yes, Republicans say no," said Daschle's release. But Collins aide Dan Kidder said the House plan does include that benefit, but allows the unemployed to choose whether they want to receive subsidies for their own health insurance plans or remain under COBRA, the federal law that extends an employer's health benefits for six months after a worker is laid off. In another release, Collins accused Daschle of obstructing judicial appointments. Thirty-seven appointments remained to be confirmed by the Senate as of last week, said Collins. He said the Senate's failure to have confirmation hearings on those nominations threatens to create a security crisis. Daschle's office said the Senate has confirmed presidential nominees much faster since Democrats took control than earlier in 2001, when Republicans controlled the Senate. Democrats took over narrow control mid-year when a Republican senator switched to independent status. "In the 107th Congress," said a Daschle release, "Democrats have out-confirmed Republicans 28 to 0. In the six months that Republicans controlled the Senate in 2001, not a single Bush judge was confirmed. In the six months under Democratic control, the Senate will have confirmed at least 28 of President Bush's judicial nominees." Daschle's office said only four of 32 nominations remain to be confirmed. Collins' figure of 37 remaining nominees includes both judges and U.S. attorneys. Daschle's release also said the Senate this last six months has confirmed nominees faster than in previous administrations: "more than a Democratic-controlled Senate confirmed for the last Democratic
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