So I started taking a look at the bills that have been proposed or passed so far by the 112th Congress. Strangely, there isn't much in there about improving the economy, but a lot about deregulating business and pushing culture war issues. For instance:

H.R.3 - No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (There's no taxpayer funding for abortion right now, but apparently this was a pressing issue)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3/show

H.R.2 - Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act (yes, they really called it that)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h2/show

H.R.25 - Fair Tax Act (would effectively give rich a massive tax cut, while raising taxes on everyone else)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h25/show

H.R.140 - Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011 (no more anchor babies!)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h140/show

H.R.514 - FISA Sunsets Extension Act of 2011 (extends the USA PATRIOT Act)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h514/show

H.R.97 - Free Industry Act (prevents the EPA from regulating greenhouse gasses)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h97/show

H.R.96 - Internet Freedom Act (Gives Congress the ability to regulate the internet instead of the FCC)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h96/show

H.R.359 - To reduce Federal spending and the deficit by terminating taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns and party conventions. (Gets rid of the only public financing of campaigns that we have in this country, all of which is funded by voluntary contributions of tax payers)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h204/show

H.R.910 - Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 (Prevents the EPA from regulating any greenhouse gas to prevent climate change)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h910/show

H.J.Res.46 - Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to allow the several States to nullify a law or regulation of the United States.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-hj46/show

H.J.Res.45 - Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage. (would amend the US Constitution to define marriage between a man and a woman)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-hj45/show

H.Res.143 - Directing the Speaker, or his designee, to take any and all actions necessary to assert the standing of the House to defend the Defense of Marriage Act and the amendments made by that Act in any litigation in any Federal court of the United States.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-hr143/show

Good job, Boehner! Now where are the jobs?

Not that everything the 112th Congress has done is a waste of time. Before she was shot, Representative Gabby Giffords (a Democrat) proposed this:

H.R.204 - Congressional Pay Cut Act (would cut Congressional pay by 5%)
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h204/show

How's that for a little bit of "shared" sacrifice? Now how about we limit executive bonuses for companies until they start hiring again.

but in the current environment, I have decided not to hire any new employees for the foreseeable future. Not because business is bad, quite the contrary, my business is booming, but because of the WW's of the world that make it more beneficial for me to sub contract work and not be burdened with Obamacare among other things.

I had every intention of doubling my work force this year as mI expect my drilling budget to at least double in size. After crunching the numbers however, I may even lay off some employees and replace them with contract labor.

I also plan on taking only a very small salary, probably no more than what Willy makes this year. I plan on converting the rest of my "earnings" into capital gains thus cutting my tax liability from over 50% to about 20% this year. It's all perfectly legal and I will still be contributing several times  more than a government parasite like Willy, but it will be hundreds of thousands less than what I would pay if I simply declared all my profits as income instead of gains. I doubt that Willy is smart enough to know the difference, but I am sure many of you know what I am talking about.

People like me are no longer going to sit back and do all the heavy lifting while parasites like Willy cry about how easy we have it. I can't do much to fix what's wrong with this country, but I can damn sure feather my own nest.

and yes Willy, my "executive bonus" is quite safe TYVM, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

We currently have the second highest corporate tax rate in the world. Soon we will have the highest corporate tax rate in the world. That is not an 'honor' we want.

In the last decade, the 5 biggest oil companies made just under $1 trillion dollars in profits. And yet, $36.5 billion dollars came directly from US taxpayer dollars in the form of subsidies. And I'm a parasite?

And despite that people like you are sucking on the teet of the taxpayers, you can't be bothered to provide health care for your employees. Is it any wonder why in India they set people like you on fire?

83 of the top 100 US corporations paid NO taxes. 43% of Bank of America's profits came from US taxpayer dollars. And still, it ain't enough.

You are such a fucking liar, I don't know why I even bother.

and many multi national corporations like Exxon have no choice as to where they pay their taxes as they are forced to go "where the oil is" Exxon paid over $78 Billion, or over 40% of their income in taxes last year, including over $7 billion in the US, that's a far cry from "NO tax"

I also provide health care for my employees, but that's not enough for maggots like you. So guess what? I am done paying for dead weight like you. I am not hiring any more people and quite frankly I am headed for the exits.

I can live quite nicely on what I have built, I have built and lost companies over the years, and I am proof that anyone with a little brains and a little balls can make it in this country.

You OTOH are going to wonder if you still have a job and your cushy benefits for the rest of your life because you have traded opportunity for the safety blanket of mediocrity. You will never accomplish a tenth of what I have already done, and I will be laughing at you still flying coach, if you can even afford to fly at all, while I am living the good life.

Fuck you Willy, and all you stand for.

Just remember, "The best revenge is living well", enjoy the security of your government job, but just remember you'll never live as well as me because you have no balls.

The first thing they did was try to repeal health care reform, which was a bone they threw to the Tea Party.  And they knew that jobs should be the priority, which is exactly why they labeled it the repeal of the "job killing Health Care Law act."  I don't think that worked too well for them.  If they had then pivoted and turned their attention to jobs, that would have been OK.  Instead they reverted to form and now are focused on budget cutting.  They should be.  That's important.  But to do it at the expense of any effort on jobs is just dumb.  Meanwhile,  the  labor market seems finally to be improving and they won't be able to take any credit for it.  Obama is very fortunate in the quality of his opposition.

They continue to divide and conquere.............

As we look to "BALANCE" the budget.
Cuts to social programs and continued attempts to allow big money and buisness to rape the middle class.

Simple exaimination of the US budget including interest expenses Vet's benifits, homeland security, etc.  and other pieces not recognized by the DOD or GAS but actually attributable to our military past present and future will show DEFENSE SPENDING THIS YEAR at over 1-trillion dollars....a bit over half the budget.

It is'nt even open to discussion on the hill.

Time we did somethinf about the robber baron death mongers.................driving this country to ruin.

"It's not even open to discussion on the hill."
While I agree the defense budget needs cutting, this statement is simply untrue.  First of all, see the link below.  Gates has testified to all this on the Hill.  In addition, there was actually a vote to kill the alternative-engine program for the F35.  Several Tea-Partiers joined Democrats in this vote.
Speaking as a liberal who wants more cuts, you do us no favors when you make arguements based in incorrect facts.

How funny....  you go to one of the root liars and quote him.....do us all a favor and further you research....

this might be a place to start outside the main stream BS

http://www.cdi.org/program/document.cfm?DocumentID=4639

Smear someone by calling him a liar, but, by all means, don't actually respond to the statement.
Did Gates ask for the F35 engine program to be cut?
Did Congress vote to scrap it?
There's a simple answer to both that you've ignored.  What about "yes" do you not understand?
Does this mean the Pentagon is not a mess?  No.
Does this mean the budget needs much more cutting?  Yes.
But guys who rant and rave, then distort people's statements only do harm to their own credibility.  You might want to be more cautious with yours, it's a precious commodity.

-- Modified on 3/6/2011 10:49:14 AM

You need some of your own medicine i'm afraid.

I bet you have a long and frustrating history of losing debates.  You must be used to it.

You are foolish to suppose I'm here to debate.  

You say they are voting to cut 350million from a 60Billion program out of  one trillion dollar budget.....

and this is a strong argument?.....LOL  POLEMICS....

find another calling...

Now that's something to look forward too....thanks...

OK, keep ignoring the fact that I also said the rest of the Pentagon budget should be cut, too, as if the $350 million was the only point I made.  Talk about someone who needs to find another calling!  You are probably still mad you were cut from the Junior High debate team.

by getting government off the backs of business, which is what a lot of this legislation does, it will foster an environment where companies may start hiring again.

The reason they have not so far is becuse of the strangehold and uncertainty the last years of pure Democratic rule has put into place.

Give Bohner a little more time to fix the Obama/Pelosi/Reed fuck-ups.

Please go here and you may see things in a better light.

Corporate taxes have declined to next to nothing and still they whine.

This link is only one of many.

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/background/numbers/revenue.cfm

Can't always believe what big money would like you too.

Now if you would like to talk about SMAll buisness, I do think they need a helping hand.

Divide and conquere.

Payroll taxes are also paid by corporations. This means between the payroll taxes AND the Corporate taxes, they are paying the largest piece of the PIE!!

Perhaps Coporate taxes have gone down, but the artile talks about the SWELL in paroll taxes, which companies have to pay!!

I read this and all I see is a clear underatdnding why companies do not want to hire!!

however, for not putting those Wall Street cheats and liars behind bars. President Obama is playing the same blah! Blah! game by his recent statement not to defend the "marriage defense act". Meanwhile trillions were stolen Wall Street and what is Attorney General Holder doing? If I was President I would be sending the FBI, the IRS and looking at documents to if they were falsified, see if money were spent on drugs, strippers and classified as tax deductions. Following money trails to university professors, to see if they were paid aS mouthpieces. But here has been nothing from this adminstration.

You have to admit Willy, isn't this disappointing? I agree, with what you said on your post, the US congress is wasting a lot of time but the same goes for both parties. Where is Theodore Roosevelt when you need one?

Your personal attacks are so telling...

So sad.

Hey Breaker.... I agree

Except for congress wasting their time.....They are doing what they always do...misdirect.

Divide and conquer.

and let every state do whatever they want. We can have 50 Department of Defense and 100 wars simultaneously. States can have their own gun laws.

No Feds and no budget deficit.

See for yourselves

even if you pass corporate taxes....

CORPORATIONS DO NOT PAY TAXES!!!

They raise the cost of goods and services to cover the cost of the increased taxes!!!

THAT IS THE REAL TRUTH OF IT!! In the end, the end consumer, the middle class, the little guy, whatever you want to call them, gets hit with them.

So go ahead Willy, keep preaching about raising them, and don't be surprised when the price you pay increases...

-- Modified on 3/6/2011 7:52:57 PM