Congress failing its constituents

This Congress has had all year to formulate and pass a federal spending budget. Instead of acting in session during the course of the year, as any semblance of responsibility would require, this crew was off somewhere on their little junket trips at taxpayer expense doing something who knows what for more than 80 percent of the calendar year.

So, what do they do now? They wait to the last minute to act on this spending framework, while inserting their little goodies in this legislation in the cover of darkness during the middle of the night without committee hearings, debate or amendments. What a bunch of rookies!

From Earl Beal, Terre Haute, Ind.

CIA report release a danger to US

To those senators who ascribe to the Senate report that enhanced interrogation used by the CIA in the war against those who attacked and killed over 3,000 Americans on 9/11 at the World Trade Center is torture:

I am sure there are some George W. Bush haters out there who would say they would rather see their children, grandchildren or their neighbor’s children murdered than use “enhanced interrogation” methods used against the terrorist mastermind of the 9/11 attack. We all know how much Democrats care about the children, they sure tell us this every chance they get, but asking them to waterboard a terrorist, that’s just asking too much.

One can only be concluded that the releasing of this report written solely by Senate Democrat staffers at the behest the Democrats on the Intelligence Committee was nothing more than an attack on the American people by those entrusted to protect us.

With this report they will surely limit intelligence gathering and put more American lives in danger.

With this report these senators have given aid and comfort to the terrorist enemies of America who will use this report as a recruiting tool and strengthen their resolve that we are truly the “Big Satan” of the world.

From Jim Posmer, Polk City, Fla.

Give lawmakers time to read legislation

Today’s generation in Congress could learn much from the late Idaho Republican Sen. James A. McClure, who passed away three years ago. His claim to fame on Capitol Hill was for 18 years, he read every word of every bill before voting on it. For many years, he signed his own mail.

Fast forward to today, did members of Congress take an Evelyn Wood speed reading class to absorb the 1,603 pages contained in the $1.1 trillion spending bill to avoid a government shutdown? They only received the bill with very little time before being asked to vote up or down. Only lobbyists, key congressional staff members employed by the House and Senate leadership teams who actually wrote the fine print within the 1,603 pages on behalf of their bosses had any idea of the details buried in the actual contents.

There should be a seven-day minimum time-out period. This would provide adequate time for members of any legislative body, as well as ordinary citizens, the media and independent good government watchdog groups, the opportunity to understand all of the contents contained in any proposed bill. Everyone would also have the opportunity under an open process to discuss the merits or consequences before others vote on adoption.

Liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, we would all be better off if Congress members would take time to actually read, line by line and openly debate in public, any proposed legislation before voting. Their legislative actions impact both our economic and civil liberties. Future generations have to pay for and live with the consequences.

From Larry Penner, Great Neck, N.Y.

No question about torture

I am a Vietnam era veteran, and I strongly believe that the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment makes clear our standing on torture. 

I suspect that some people in Congress will criticize the administration for releasing the torture report for fear that it will tarnish our standing in the world. However, traditionally it is clearly the right thing to do. We as a nation need to express our shame at allowing this to happen.

Former President Lincoln expressed it best when he said: “I hate it because it deprives our republican example of its just influence in the world — enables the enemies of free institutions, with plausibility, to taunt us as hypocrites — causes the real friends of freedom to doubt our sincerity, and especially because it forces so many really good men amongst ourselves into an open war with the very fundamental principles of civil liberty — criticizing the Declaration of Independence, and insisting that there is no right principle of action but self interest.”

From Bob Leggett, Sudbury, Mass.

Funding bill does grave disservice

Congress has put forward a funding bill to keep our government running. In that bill, they added two items that benefit only the wealthiest most powerful 1 percent in the country. The bill will allow private individuals to give 10 times more contributions to their puppet congressmen, and the banks to gamble with our money just like they did when banks failed. We, the people will bail them out. That caused the last meltdown years ago that put the country and the world in jeopardy. The Dodd-Frank regulations prevent those very same banks from gambling with our money. Without them, if the banks gambles win, the banks keep the money, but if they lose, we pay their losses. This is what your congressmen think is good for our country. They should all be in prison.

From Norm Stewart, Aventura, Fla.